Monday, October 26, 2015
Jonas Center Achieves Goal with 1,000 Doctorally Prepared Faculty, Clinical Leaders in All States
The Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare announced that it will achieve its goal to prepare 1,000 nurse faculty and clinical leaders nationwide in 2016. The Jonas Center committed nearly $25 million to the effort, through grants to nurses pursuing PhDs and DNPs, the field’s terminal degrees.
This milestone announcement comes amid an aging population with complex health needs requiring specialized care; the Affordable Care Act and other shifts in America’s health system that have led to an increase in people seeking care; and a shortage of faculty in professional registered nurse programs coupled with a workforce comprising a large number of nurses nearing retirement.
“Highly educated nurses are the key to improving the ailing U.S. healthcare system,” says Darlene Curley, executive director of the Jonas Center. “The 1,000 doctorally-prepared Jonas Scholars are dedicated to increasing access to care, improving quality of services, and lowering costs nationwide.”
While 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day1, 53 percent of working nurses2 and 72 percent of full-time nursing faculty are over age 50.3 Further, a faculty vacancy rate of 6.9 percent4 resulted in nearly 69,000 qualified applicants turned away from nursing baccalaureate and graduate programs in 2014.5
According to a 2010 impact assessment by the Jonas Center and New York University College of Nursing, during the course of a 30-year career, one nurse faculty member could teach approximately 7,500 nurses who in turn would care for a potential 3.6 million patients.
Two years ago, the Jonas Center announced it would direct close to $14 million plus another $10.5 million in leveraged funds to prepare 1,000 nurse faculty and clinical leaders by 2020. Through its flagship initiatives, the Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholars program and the Jonas Veterans Healthcare Program, the Center has grown from six New York-area Jonas Scholars in 2008 to 604 across the country last year; the new anticipated cohort of 425 Scholars in 2016 brings to fruition the Jonas Center’s ambition far ahead of schedule and in advance of the Center’s 10th anniversary next year.