The RWJF Future of Nursing Scholars program is leadership program that is designed to increase the number of nurses holding PhDs in Alabama and around the country. More PhD-prepared nurses are needed to increase the number of nurse leaders, conduct nurse-led science and discovery, and educate the next generation of nurses, the Institute of Medicine has said.
Bui, a recent graduate of the UAB School of Nursing Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) Honors program, has worked as a staff nurse in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at UAB Hospital and is working with Associate Dean for Research Karen Meneses, PhD, RN, FAAN, to study cardiovascular effects in breast cancer survivors, as part of her dissertation research.
Hoenig, a 2014 graduate of the UAB BSN Honors Program, is working with Associate Professor David Vance, PhD, to study cognitive function in older adults with HIV as part of her dissertation research.“We are thrilled to have both Jacqueline Bui and Anna Hoenig in our PhD program, specifically in the BSN to PhD program we offer,” said Doreen Harper, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean and Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair in Nursing at the UAB School of Nursing. “Both were exceptional baccalaureate students and leaders among their colleagues. I am confident both will excel in this program and will make great impact with their research and in the profession.”
The Future of Nursing Scholars program provides grants to schools of nursing, so that they can provide scholarships to PhD candidates who will commit to completing the program in three years. Both Bui and Hoenig will receive an award of $75,000, as well as mentoring and leadership development over the course of the PhD program.
Less than 1 percent of the nation’s more than 3 million nurses have PhDs in nursing or a related field. In addition, the average age at which nurses get their PhDs in the United States is 46—13 years older than PhD earners in other fields. This program will provide an incentive for nurses to start PhD programs earlier, so that they can have long leadership careers after earning their PhDs.
The Future of Nursing Scholars program launched last year with an inaugural cohort of 16 scholars. This new cohort brings the number of nurses it is supporting to 62.
