WGU Washington Honors Working Nurses with Scholarship Opportunity

SEATTLE, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To commemorate National Nurses Week and recognize nurses for their important work, WGU Washington has established the Nurses Lead the Way scholarship. Five scholarships, each valued up to $500, will be awarded to motivated nurses who wish to pursue a bachelor's or master's degree program in the online, nonprofit university's College of Health Professions.

WGU Washington's degree programs are online, competency-based, and ideal for working nurses and health professionals hoping to advance their careers by completing a bachelor's or master's degree. WGU Washington's competency-based learning model lets students complete program requirements based on their prior work experience and academic knowledge, allowing them to accelerate through subject matter they already know and focus on what they still need to learn. Students earn their degrees by demonstrating mastery of content, rather than accumulating time spent in class or credit hours. In addition, WGU Washington's online degree programs are flexible. Students can fit their studies into their schedule and terms can begin on the first day of any month.

Last year, Kim Lozano, a nurse from Seattle, received the Nurses Lead the Way scholarship and enrolled in WGU's CCNE-accredited* B.S. Nursing degree program.

"Nurses are always at the forefront of their patients' care and well-being," says Lozano. "Therefore, it is our responsibility to practice with the most current knowledge and research available to us. Through earning my BSN degree at WGU, I hope to maintain this essential integrity of my profession."

Lozano says her employer, the largest nonprofit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, is very supportive of her pursuit of a degree. With a credential from WGU Washington, she says she'll become a more valuable contributor in the workplace.

To be eligible for the Nurses Lead the Way scholarship, applicants must be a licensed RN and complete an application for admission to WGU. The scholarship program is competitive; scholarships will be awarded based on a candidate's academic record, readiness for online study at WGU, and other considerations. The one-time $500 scholarship will be applied to the student's first six-month term. The deadline to apply for the Go Further in Nursing scholarship is April 30, 2014. National Nurses Week is celebrated May 6 to 12.

The Nurses Lead the Way scholarship is available to new students enrolling in any of the following programs from WGU's College of Health Professions:

B.S. Nursing (RN to BSN)
B.S. Health Informatics
M.S. Nursing—Education (for RNs with BSNs)
M.S. Nursing—Leadership and Management (for RNs with BSNs)
M.S. Nursing—Education (RN to MSN)
M.S. Nursing—Leadership and Management (RN to MSN)
MBA Healthcare Management

For more information about the Nurses Lead the Way scholarship, please visit washington.wgu.edu/nursesweek.

If you would like more information, or would like to schedule an interview with Chancellor Jean Floten, please contact Jake Riddell at 206-512-0025, [email protected], or Lee Keller at 206-799-3805, [email protected].

About WGU Washington
WGU Washington was established by the State Legislature in 2011 in partnership with nationally recognized and accredited Western Governors University to expand access to higher education for Washington residents.

The state-endorsed, online university offers more than 50 bachelor's and master's degree programs in Business, Information Technology, Teacher Education, and Health Professions, including Nursing. WGU Washington's competency-based learning model is designed to meet the needs of working adults by providing an affordable, flexible option for earning an accredited, respected college degree. It's non-profit and receives no money from the state.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*).

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, SunGard Higher Education and Zions Bank.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington DC 20036, 202-877-6791).

Follow WGU Washington:
http://www.facebook.com/WGUWASHINGTON
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http://twitter.com/wguwashington  
http://www.youtube.com/wguwashington

Contact for media inquiries:
Jake Riddell – Public Relations Manager
(206) 512-0025
[email protected]

Contact for enrollment information:
877.214.7004
washington.wgu.edu

SOURCE WGU Washington