HOW TO GET A NURSING SCHOLARSHIP

The face of nursing is changing and with it the types of nursing scholarships that will be available. While sixty percent of nurses still work in hospitals the trend is toward more outpatient care and future nursing scholarships will reflect this.

Financial pressure is forcing hospitals to release patients early. This means there will be a growing need for nursing scholarships that offer training in home health care services, rehabilitation and preventative care.

The fastest growth will be in physician’s offices. This is good news for many seeking nursing scholarships. Why? These are the most competitive and sought-after nursing jobs because the predictable hours make it much easier on people, especially those trying to raise a family.

Where do men fit in to this big, wide world of nursing scholarships? Well, they are roughly fifty percent of the general population and yet only 5.8 percent of nurses.

Is there some huge conspiracy to keep men down so they will be under represented? Probably not. It’s just that not that many men are interested in nursing. It does demonstrate how silly this line of thinking can be. Still, many hospitals will actively seek male nurses to balance their staff so you can use this to your advantage when seeking money for nursing scholarships.

Many nursing scholarships are distributed strictly to needy or low-income students. A good place to start for these types of nursing scholarships is with the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). If your household income is less than $41,000 a year there is a very good chance you will qualify for up to $5,800 through this federal financial aid program.

Merit-based nursing scholarships are a bit more rigorous. The process generally involves a personal interview, an essay, and reference letters from teachers and/or employers. There may also be an evaluation of your academic record, community service, and future goals.

There are just under three million registered nurses currently working in the United States, which makes it the profession more people work in than any other profession. It is also one of the fastest growing jobs, expected to grow twenty two percent between 2008 and 2018. Some estimates say there will be 581,500 new jobs in registered nursing alone.

What does it all mean? For one thing, it means that there will be a lot of nursing scholarships available. It also means there will more than likely be a lot of competition for those scholarships.

The best job prospects will be for registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree. This generally takes four to five years to complete. An Associate’s degree takes two to three years and is certainly a better fit for some nursing candidates.

The biggest down side is that the best opportunities for advancement usually require at least a bachelor’s degree. There are accelerated programs for people who already have a bachelor’s degree in another subject area and want to become a nurse. These usually take one to two years. When you finish you’ll be a budding Florence Nightingale..

Are you ready for the NEXT STEP!