Jonas Nursing and AACN Announce New Cohort of Doctoral Nursing Students Selected as Jonas Scholars

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 23, 2024 – Today, Jonas Nursing, a leading supporter of doctoral nursing education in the U.S., and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) are thrilled to announce the 2024-2026 cohort of Jonas Scholars, consisting of 63 promising doctoral students from 25 states. Through next-generation family leadership, the Jonas Scholars program continues to play a significant role in addressing the nation’s shortage of nursing faculty, a leading barrier to expanding student capacity in schools of nursing. Since its launch in 2006, this signature program of Jonas Philanthropies has invested more than $28 million in nearly 1,500 nurse scholars in all 50 states.

“The academic nursing community applauds the leaders of the Jonas Philanthropies for their unwavering support for doctoral nursing students and the impact they are having on strengthening the supply of nurse educators,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, President and Chief Executive Officer of AACN. “The Jonas family clearly recognizes the central role nurses play in providing patient-centered care and ensuring access to life-sustaining services in communities nationwide.”

The 2024-2026 Scholars consist of 52 PhD candidates and 11 DNP candidates represented by 45 different schools of nursing, receiving more than $1 million collectively in scholarship funds. Each Scholar will be paired with a mentor to provide them with guidance and lend their expertise to developing each Scholar as nursing faculty. In addition, each Scholar receives $12,000 in support for tuition and other academic expenses with a school match. Following the completion of the cohort, Scholars are eligible for a possible $6,000 award if they accept a faculty position. Jonas Scholar alumni have gone on to serve as faculty, researchers, and leaders in academic nursing.

Jonas Nursing is pleased to see that over 50% of its 2024-2026 cohort are students representing Black, Latino, and other communities of color, ensuring that future nursing leaders reflect an increasingly diverse patient population. “We are thrilled to introduce this incredibly diverse cohort, both in demographics and emerging areas of expertise,” said Jonas Philanthropies Co-President John Jonas. “Through our investment in nurse scholars, Jonas Nursing is helping address vital healthcare priorities, ensure access to care by underserved populations, and provide much needed mental health and veterans’ health services.”

In early 2024, Jonas Philanthropies announced the revitalized focus for its Jonas Scholars program, concentrating on preparing doctoral students to successfully transition into faculty roles. A comprehensive curriculum was developed with content reflecting four pillars: mentoring, leadership development, policy, and teaching.

“Through this redesigned curriculum, we will achieve tangible results that bolster the faculty population, helping address the nursing shortage nationwide,” said Lendri Purcell, Co-President, Jonas Philanthropies. “We were deliberate about selecting Scholars representing a wide range of content areas critical to healthcare delivery, including environmental health, gerontology, health policy, pediatrics, preventive care, rural health, school nursing, vision health, and women’s health.”

About Jonas Nursing
The mission of Jonas Nursing is to enhance the nursing profession by developing nurse leaders who will address the nursing shortage by educating the future nursing workforce and by investing in the health and well-being of our most underserved communities. For more information on Jonas Nursing, visit jonasphilanthropies.org.

About the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the national voice for academic nursing representing more than 875 schools of nursing nationwide. AACN establishes quality standards for nursing education, influences the nursing profession to improve health care, and promotes public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research, and practice. For more information about AACN, visit aacnnursing.org and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.

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