Great need for nurses

BJC HealthCare is offering full-ride scholarships to incoming nursing students at Goldfarb School of Nursing.

The scholarship offers come at a time that nurses are in high demand, and many regions face critical shortages. According to NurseJournal, “nearly every major hospital is hiring for one of healthcare’s most important roles.”

In 2019, nursing ranked as the third-most in-demand job of any profession in the United States, “and this trend shows no signs of slowing down.”

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, African Americans represent only 7.8% of the nursing workforce, although 13.4% of the U.S. population identify as Black.

The nursing community has recognized the connection between diverse representation in nursing and reducing healthcare inequities. There is a focus on the importance of training and recruiting nurses from underrepresented groups, including African Americans.

 The “full ride” scholarship is available to undergraduate students applying for the fall 2022 semester at Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College.

Recipients will be offered job opportunities at one of BJC HealthCare’s 14 hospitals after graduation, in return for a commitment to working three years in a direct patient care role. 

 The National Student Nurses’ Association reports more than 70% of nursing students use student loans to help pay for their education. The new scholarship is designed to reduce the financial burden on nursing students while helping to address the nursing shortages across health care.

 “This timely scholarship supports a diverse, prepared, proactive nursing workforce ready to address health and health care inequities,” said Dr. Angela Clark, Maxine Clark and Bob Fox president of Goldfarb.

“Expenses such as housing, books and other living expenses are not covered. There remains a critical need to support scholarship funding in partnership with The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital – this is vital to our students’ success.”

 Goldfarb School of Nursing is located on the Washington University Medical Campus in St. Louis, which includes Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Goldfarb has a second campus at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in west St. Louis County. BJC’s 14 hospitals are located around greater St. Louis, southern Illinois, and southeast Missouri.

“For any Goldfarb School of Nursing scholarship recipient exploring a future in this dynamic profession, we hope this opportunity makes it easier to pursue their professional dreams,” says Denise Murphy, RN, BSN, MPH, and chief nurse executive at BJC HealthCare.

According to a March 2022 report by the Bureau of Health Workforce, there are 15.14 nurses per every 1,000 Missouri residents, which places the state ninth in the nation. Illinois ranks 27th with 12.42 nurses for every 1,000 residents.

South Carolina has the worst ration in the nation, with just 7.89 nurses per 1,000 residents, and the national average is 12.06.

In August 2021, Goldfarb and Harris-Stowe State University announced that four spots in the Goldfarb nursing would be reserved for Harris-Stowe students. The students also will receive scholarship assistance.

These allocated spaces mean the students can begin their nursing education during their desired term, rather than being added to a wait list.

Students accepted into the nursing program will be charged the same tuition rate as they pay at Harris-Stowe. In addition, students who earn one of the four reserved spots will be eligible for Goldfarb-sponsored scholarships to assist with tuition costs.

“We are excited to partner with Goldfarb School of Nursing to provide Harris-Stowe students an affordable opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s and professional degree simultaneously,” LaTonia Collins Smith, Harris-Stowe president, said.

Collins Smith said the agreement “not only provides students a defined pathway to a career in nursing but also builds upon Harris-Stowe’s strength in the biological sciences.”

Nursing courses taken at Goldfarb are also eligible for a reverse transfer to Harris-Stowe. This will enable students to earn a STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] degree from Harris-Stowe in addition to a BSN (Bachelor of Science in nursing) from Goldfarb.

To learn more about our exciting, new full-ride scholarship and eligibility requirements, please click on the following link: https://www.barnesjewishcollege.edu/Financial-Aid/Scholarship

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