Hearst-Jonas Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholars anticipated to impact the lives of 100,000 patients over course of their careers
NEW YORK, February 23, 2015 – The Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare today announced an expansion of its partnership with the Hearst Foundations to provide scholarships to 20 nurses pursing their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), an advanced-level practice degree that focuses on the clinical aspects of nursing, leadership and application of clinical research.
Supported by a $200,000 grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation – monies that will be matched by partnering academic institutions – the Scholars will:
- Increase the number of primary care advanced practice nurses, particularly in underserved areas;
- Fill vacant clinical faculty positions at schools of nursing across the country, addressing the dire shortage of nursing faculty; and
- Promote nursing leadership across clinical, policy and academic settings.
According to the Jonas Center, the impact of DNP nurses cannot be overstated. It estimates that each Hearst-Jonas DNP Scholar nurse will see an average of 20 patients per day, or roughly 5,000 patients per year. Over 20 years of practice – likely a low estimate – these nurses will complete nearly 100,000 patient visits in their careers. This number comprises 15,000 unique patients, estimates the Center.
“Our nation’s health will be in crisis unless we take action to ensure nurses receive the most education possible,” said Darlene Curley, MS, RN, FAAN, Executive Director of the Jonas Center. “We have an aging, chronically ill population with complex medical needs; increasingly sophisticated medical technologies in every care setting; demand for access to quality care at lower cost; and an escalating shortage of primary care physicians. In partnership with Hearst, we are helping prepare nurses to meet these challenges.”
This effort builds on a partnership established among the two organizations in 2012 and the ongoing Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholars Program. The Jonas Center and the Hearst Foundations share a common goal to improve the healthcare of our country by addressing the shortage of specially trained health workers, especially nurses who are often the first point of care and those with the most patient interaction.
The 20 scholars will pursue their DNP in historically underfunded and underserved states: Idaho, Kansas, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. Funding will support the scholars through 2016.
Since its founding in 2006 the Jonas Center has supported 600 Scholars at 125 schools in all 50 states. Of these, 30 are Hearst-Jonas DNP Scholars. The Jonas Center aims to fund 1,000 doctoral nursing Scholars by 2016.
“Our partnership with the Jonas Center helps further our mission to improve health and quality of life in the U.S. Supporting nurses is a natural extension of this vision,” said Paul Dinovitz, Executive Director, Hearst Foundations. “It is our goal to support these future nurse leaders as they enhance access to better primary care.”
