Scholarships For Continuing Education Of Nurses Article

Scholarships For Continuing Education Of Nurses - Article Example To address the current nursing shortage entails considerable efforts that are directed towards the recruitment and retention of nurses along with the capabilities of nursing schools. A number of strategies have often been suggested, such as the supply of sufficient educational facilities, faculty members and funding as well as the increase of financial aid for students and nurses by means of scholarships and other forms of programs and grants (Griscti and Jacono, 2005). Such financial support has especially been found to be inadequate in helping nurses who aim to pursue continuing education. The significance of continuing education has increasingly been debated over the years, particularly in the nursing literature. It has become highly important for stakeholders and policymakers alike in the healthcare industry and has been reflected in different decrees, including the Nurse, Midwives, and Health Visitors Act of 1979 as well as recommendations presented by organizations around the w orld, such as the Canadian Nurses Association Policy Statement in Canada and the National Staff Committee for Nurses and Midwives in the United Kingdom (Griscti and Jacono, 2005). However, despite the relevance of continuing education to nurses along with the participation of different stakeholders, there has still been a considerable lack of financial aid for those who aim to pursue such form of education. ... continuing education to nurses along with the participation of different stakeholders, there has still been a considerable lack of financial aid for those who aim to pursue such form of education. The following sections will then look into nursing education and the funding associated with it, the importance of continuing education as well as the financial support made available to nurses who seek continuing education, particularly the availability of scholarship grants. Education in Nursing There has been a continual debate in the United States concerning the AD and BS education as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2002) associated the past years with professional tension with regards to chosen routes towards nursing practice. Educators have supported different rewards and practices over the years. Nonetheless, these various levels of skills and competencies have not been equally recognized in the work settings, neither through role differentiation nor compensati on. Such occurrences have served as a deterrent for nurses to further raise their level of education and pursue continuing education. In addition, it has been found out that, although some hospitals based their salaries on the nurses’ educational level with which the actual financial increment was small, many other employers strongly relied on available new workers who have received their education in the US or abroad (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), 2003). Majority of lawmakers in the country have provided funds for student loan forgiveness as well as loan repayment; these have been used as strategies for attracting new nursing graduates to settle in their state of graduation. Again, such efforts place more emphasis on entry-level registered nurses.