WATERTOWN, NY — A retired nurse from Samaritan Medical Center has established a $50,000 scholarship through the SMC Foundation for Registered Nurses (RNs) looking to advance their careers as Nurse Practitioners.
The Susan K. Peters Nursing Scholarship was established to assist with the education costs for an RN who is continuing his/her education, specifically to pursue a Nurse Practitioner degree. Two scholarships of $2,000 will be awarded each year.
Mrs. Peters graduated from the House of the Good Samaritan School of Nursing in 1965. She retired from Samaritan Medical Center as a Certified Oncology Nurse in 1999 and prior to that served more than 20 years as Nurse Manager of Medical/Surgical and Orthopaedic units.
“Inspired by my own personal experiences with Nurse Practitioners, and seeing the need for more of this profession in our own community, I was compelled to set up this scholarship,” explains Mrs. Peters. “After already establishing a strong foundation from their training and experiences in nursing, RNs are well-positioned to become excellent Nurse Practitioners.”
Different from RNs, Nurse Practitioners are able to provide many of the same services as physicians, including developing treatment plans for their patients, ordering tests, performing minor procedures and prescribing medication.
The application period for the Susan K. Peters Nursing Scholarship opened on August 1, 2018 and concludes August 31, 2018, with scholarship award announcement in September 2018. To be eligible for this scholarship, candidates must meet the following criteria:
-
Must be a registered nurse (RN) with a minimum of two full years’ working experience. RNs currently working for Samaritan Medical Center preferred, but not mandatory.
-
Medical/Surgical experience preferred but not necessary.
-
Must be a resident of either Jefferson County or Lewis County, New York
-
Eligible to apply after successful completion of first semester in a Nurse Practitioner program with at least a B average.
As part of the application, Registered Nurses must describe why they are pursuing their Nurse Practitioner degree and where, as well as whether or not they have a financial need. Two letters of recommendation must be submitted with the application to support the RNs pursuit of a Nurse Practitioner degree.
For more information, or to obtain a scholarship application, please contact the SMC Foundation at 315-785-5745 or visit samaritanhealth.com/scholarships. Completed forms can be emailed or mailed to the SMC Foundation at info@shsny.com or 830 Washington Street, Watertown, NY 13601.
Photo caption: Susan K. Peters (center) presents check to Thomas H. Carman, Samaritan President and CEO, and Beth Fipps, Vice President, Samaritan Medical Center Foundation and Community Services, to establish scholarship for Registered Nurses pursuing Nurse Practitioner degrees.