For the second year, the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has been selected to receive the Future of Nursing Scholars Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). UTHSC is among only 31 schools selected to receive the grant.
The grant will allow the selected schools to provide a scholarship for up to two students to pursue a PhD in the nursing profession within an accelerated three-year program.
Due to the shortage of nurse educators, researchers, and scientists, the National Academy of Medicine has recommended doubling the number of nurses across the country who hold doctorate degrees.
Currently, only 1 percent of nurses in the United States hold doctorate degrees. Nurse educators represent the greatest shortage. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 64,000 qualified nursing school applicants across the country were not admitted to nursing school programs in 2016 due to the lack of faculty.
At the end of the Future of Nursing Scholars program, more than 200 PhD prepared nurses will have graduated, four of whom will be from UTHSC.
“We are honored and grateful for the continued support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,” said Wendy M. Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-Bc, FAANP, dean and professor in the UTHSC College of Nursing. “Their commitment and support is instrumental in the education of future nursing leaders. UTHSC College of Nursing is honored to partner with RWJF in this investment in our future.”
The UTHSC College of Nursing awarded Patricia Mosley, CRNA, and Michelle Harrison, MSN, MBA, RNC, the RWJF grants in the fall of 2016. Both received $75,000, which is broken down to $25,000 per year that they are in their PhD program. Both students are expected to complete their program in the spring of 2019.
The next UTHSC scholars for the grant will be selected from the fall 2018 class of the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science program.
The Future of Nursing Scholars program is a multi-funded initiative. In addition to RWJF, Johnson & Johnson, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Sharp HealthCare, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are supporting this year’s grants.