New $30,000 Grant to Help Support Three Nursing Doctoral Students

A $30,000 grant from the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare, and partially matched by the University, will fund the scholarship of three Duquesne nursing students over two years.

More specifically, the grant will help to support one Ph.D. Jonas Nurse Leader Scholar, one Ph.D. Jonas Veterans Healthcare Scholar, and one DNP Jonas Veterans Healthcare Scholar. The Jonas Nurse Leader Scholar Award is offered to a Ph.D. student who shows exceptional promise as a leader in their field. The Jonas Veterans Healthcare Scholar Awards are offered to two students with a focus on veteran-specific healthcare needs.

Drs. Alison Colbert and Melissa Kalarchian submitted the application on behalf of the School of Nursing and will continue to coordinate the program.

“The Duquesne School of Nursing, like the Jonas Center, is committed to doing our part to address the shortage of doctorally-prepared faculty to teach in nursing.  Across the country, nursing schools are turning away qualified applicants because of the faculty shortfall,” explained Colbert, assistant professor and chair of graduate nursing programs. “Programs like this are addressing a critical need for nurse faculty leaders.”

“We are pleased the award allows our school to increase the capacity of America’s healthcare system to care for veterans,” added Kalarchian, associate professor and associate dean for research in the nursing school. “Through research, and the translation of research into practice, doctorally prepared nurses will make important contributions that address the unique mental and physical healthcare needs of veterans.”

Colbert and Kalarchian are recruiting doctoral students who will join an elite group of nearly 600 Jonas Scholars across the country. The application process is currently underway, and Colbert and Kalarchian are expected to make decisions by Friday, June 6.

The mission of the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence is to improve healthcare through nursing. The center provides grants that advance scholarship, leadership and innovation, and collaborates on initiatives with other leaders in the nursing field, with a focus on fostering new partnerships across the philanthropic, business, policy and education sectors.

“The call for more nurses—and thus the faculty to prepare them—is massive,” said Donald Jonas, co-founder of the Jonas Center. “Healthcare in America has never been more complex, yet tens of thousands of would-be nurses are turned away from the profession each year. We’ve stepped up the pace and expanded our programs to meet this need.”