NLN Launches Jonas Scholars Program to Support Rigorous, High-Quality Doctoral Research to Advance Science of Nursing Education

Two-Year, $75,000 Grant from New York-Based Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence Will Fund 10 NLN Jonas Scholars for 2010-2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY — August 19, 2010 — As the National League for Nursing seeks to advance the science of nursing education through evidence-based research, it proudly announces the establishment of the NLN Jonas Scholars Program to support 10 PhD candidates as they work to complete their doctoral dissertations.

Through a generous two-year, $75,000 grant from the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence in New York City, the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education will distribute funds to each Jonas Scholar chosen through competitive review to participate in this initiative. The grant also covers the expense of two nights lodging and airfare for scholars to attend a meeting later this year with faculty-scholars designated as leadership-mentors in nursing education. The meeting will take place at the NLNs Annual Education Summit this September in Las Vegas.

"The NLN is deeply committed to supporting beginning researchers," said President Cathleen Shultz, PhD, RN, CNE, FAAN. "It is critically important to have a sufficient number of nurse educators with doctorates skilled in conducting the pedagogical research that can significantly impact patient care. We are grateful to the Jonas Center for providing the funding to make this project possible and look forward to the contributions these developing thought leaders will make to the field."

Added NLN CEO Dr. Beverly Malone, "The Jonas Scholars program addresses a core stated goal of the NLN and in accordance with that, the chosen scholars fit well into the NLNs organizational strategic vision. In addition, the NLNs dedication to faculty development creates an imperative to provide leadership in the form of mentoring to these newly emerging scholars. Therefore, we also salute those faculty mentors who have been recruited from the NLN Academy of Nursing Education to fulfill this crucial role."

Elaine Tagliareni, EdD, RN, FAAN, the NLNs chief program officer, will oversee the Jonas Scholars Program. She will convene a series of conference calls throughout the summer of 2010 for the first cohort of five scholars (see below). The second cohort of five Jonas Scholars will be named in the spring of 2011. Mentors, who will provide Jonas scholars with support in leadership and career development, are esteemed faculty scholars previously inducted as fellows in the NLN Academy of Nursing Education, recognized for their enduring contributions to the science of nursing education.

NLN Jonas Scholars - Cohort 1 (2010-2011)

Lisa Adams Wolf: William F. Connell School of Nursing at Boston College
NLN Research Priority: Best Practices in Schooling, Teaching, and Learning

Ann M. Bowling: Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Case Western Reserve University
NLN Research Priority: Innovations in Nursing Education

Kristina Thomas Dreifuerst: School of Nursing Indiana University
NLN Research Priority: Clinical Teaching Models and Best Practices

Jennifer Gunberg Ross: College of Nursing, Villanova University
NLN Research Priority: Evaluation Research in Nursing Education

Anna Katherine Keiper: University of Washington School of Nursing
NLN Research Priority: Evaluation Research in Nursing Education — Evaluating Reform

Editors/Reporters: For interview opportunities, please contact Karen Klestzick, chief communications officer at the NLN, at 212-812-0376 or kklestzick@nln.org.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 32,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members who represent all types of nursing education programs.