Jonas Scholars Investing in the future of nursing through scholarships

The challenges

  • The U.S. faces a surge in aging adults with complex health needs, as well as an aging healthcare workforce: while 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day, 53% of working nurses and 72% of full-time nursing faculty are over age 50 and nearing retirement.
  • A faculty vacancy rate of 9.6% resulted in more than 64,000 qualified applicants turned away from nursing baccalaureate and graduate programs in 2016.
  • With 22.2 million veterans living in the U.S., there is an urgent need to reassess and continue to improve upon veterans unique healthcare challenges:
    • One out of five veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffers from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
    • 20 veterans commit suicide every day.

Investing in solutions

Launched in 2008 to address the nursing faculty shortage, the Jonas Nurse Scholars initiative has grown in both reach and scope to support more than 1,400 Scholars in all 50 states who have transitioned into roles as faculty, clinical leaders and researchers.

Upon its ten-year mark, we have refined the goal of the program to improving healthcare through targeted investments in high-potential doctoral nursing students pursuing PhD, EdD or DNP degrees, whose research and clinical foci specifically address our nation’s most pressing healthcare needs.

The scholarships provide financial assistance, leadership development and networking support to expand the pipeline of future nursing faculty, researchers and advanced practice nurses.

Jonas Scholars are committed to meeting
the greatest health needs of our time

  • Veterans Healthcare: Advanced practice nurses and faculty who are trained specifically to address the unique needs of our veteran population, and will be involved in all levels of veterans healthcare, from administration and policy to direct patient care.
  • American Academy of Nursing Policy Fellows: These Scholars support the work of AAN Expert Panels, which focus on addressing big health challenges, such as aging; environmental and public health; global nursing; maternal and infant health; military and veterans health; palliative and end-of-life care; and psychiatric, mental health and substance abuse.
  • Barbara Jonas Psychiatric-Mental Health Scholars: Supports PhD, EdD and DNP candidates who will become clinical and academic leaders in the field of psychiatric-mental health.