Geriatric nurses are in high demand due to the increasing population of elderly people. To encourage registered nurses to take on geriatric positions across healthcare facilities, geriatric nursing scholarships are offered to support the education of those who may be interested. I have gathered all of these scholarships here for you to find them and apply for them with ease.
Geriatric nursing is a field of nursing concerned with improving and maintaining the health of older adult patients. In simple words, it refers to the care of elderly patients. Nurses in this field undergo specialized education that teaches them how to care for older adult patients and understand their specific health needs. There is a high demand for nurses in this field due to the increasing population of elderly people.
A high demand means great compensation in terms of salary and other benefits to attract more people to the field. So, if you are looking for a nursing specialty you may want to consider geriatric nursing as you will become an in-demand professional and explore the opportunities within the field.
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What are the Duties of a Geriatric Nurse?
A geriatric nurse provides healthcare services to the elderly, helping them maintain their quality of life, their responsibilities/duties include:
- Assessing the mental status and cognitive skills of patients
- Administering medications and monitoring patient’s conditions
- Changing surgical or wound dressing
- Assist doctors in diagnostic procedures and surgeries
- Collaborating with other healthcare professionals to implement treatment plans
- Understanding the acute and chronic health issues of patient
- Assist patients with activities of daily living including exercising, bathing, dressing, and massaging patients
- Serving as vital liaisons between patients and their families and physicians
- Monitoring signs of elder abuse
- Collecting blood work and laboratory tests when ordered
As a geriatric nurse, you can work in nursing homes, clinics, hospitals, and residential care facilities for senior citizens. It is a tasking role therefore it is best that you are in it for the passion and not for the money.
How Much Do Geriatric Nurses Make?
The average salary of geriatric nurses is $95,635 per year.
How Do I Become A Geriatric Nurse?
The first step to becoming a geriatric nurse is to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree at an accredited institution. The next step is to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), pass it, and earn your license as a Registered Nurse (RN).
After 2 years as an RN, you can then be qualified to take training as a geriatric nurse which is about a minimum of 2,000 hours of geriatric nursing clinical practice or if you want a separate qualification as a geriatric nurse, you can pursue a master’s degree in geriatric nursing.
There are geriatric nursing scholarships offered by diverse colleges and universities, foundations, organizations, etc. to support those going into the field of geriatric nursing. These scholarships are made available with the aim of attracting and encouraging more RNs to come into the field and fill in the demand for geriatric positions across healthcare facilities.
There are already many nursing scholarships that you can apply for and direct the funding towards your geriatric nursing education such as government grants for nursing and scholarships for nursing students in NY. However, they will be competitive as all types of nurses would apply for them but the geriatric nursing scholarships curated here are specifically for geriatric nurses alone and would be less competitive.
Therefore, it would be wise to direct all your effort into these scholarships but you could still apply for other healthcare scholarships and general nursing scholarships that you qualify for to gather as much funds as possible. After all, it is scholarships, it is free money and non-repayable.
Best Geriatric Nursing Scholarships
Here are the best geriatric nursing scholarships:
- Heritage Geriatric Nursing Scholarship Fund
- Fredia Morgan-Atkins Memorial Scholarship for Geriatric Nursing
- Piper Shores Geriatric Nursing Scholarship
- Touchmark Foundation
- CGNE Gero Scholars Program
- GAPNA Foundation Grants and Scholarships
- Catherine Grant Sigmore Memorial Bursary
- Australian College of Nursing Aged Care Scholarships
- Reynolds Scholarship
- Peace Aging Care Experts Nursing Scholarships
- National League for Nursing Foundation Scholarship Program
- Plein Certificate Scholarships
1. Heritage Geriatric Nursing Scholarship Fund
Heritage Enterprises partners with the Mennonite College of Nursing of Illinois State University to offer scholarships to students who are passionate about caring for older adults. To be eligible, you must be enrolled or accepted into the Mennonite College of Nursing and demonstrate an interest in geriatric nursing.
2. Fredia Morgan-Atkins Memorial Scholarship for Geriatric Nursing
This geriatric scholarship is offered by Ball State University School of Nursing to undergraduate and graduate students who have applied to, and been accepted into the nursing school. The scholarship is awarded annually. The criteria for application are female RNs, graduate students seeking an MSN with a major in nursing, and a genuine interest in caring for geriatric patients.
3. Piper Shores Geriatric Nursing Scholarship
Holbrook at Piper Shores partners with Maine Medical Center to establish the Piper Shores Geriatric Nursing Scholarship to support the education of nurses dedicated to geriatric care. The scholarship aims to train more geriatric nurses in Maine to match the increasing number of older adult population in the state.
Nurses who want to apply for the scholarship must have a B or B+ average, fill out an application, and go through a selection process. The fund supports the continuing education of current Maine Medical Center nurses as well as those employees pursuing nursing degrees, associate, bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees. Maine Medical Center partners with a range of schools, including the University of Maine, the University of New England, and many others.
4. Touchmark Foundation
Touchmark Foundation is one of the foundations offering scholarships to geriatric nurses. The scholarships are made available with the aim of increasing the number of nurses available to teach tomorrow’s nurses. The Foundation places particular emphasis on student applicants pursuing geriatric nursing studies.
5. CGNE Gero Scholars Program
The Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (CGNE) launched a scholars program to provide scholarships to support students who identify an interest in gerontological nursing or aging science and demonstrate academic excellence. Aside from the financial support, there are other benefits such as mentorship and networking that you will also gain.
6. GAPNA Foundation Grants and Scholarships
Did you know? You can become a member of GAPNA and be eligible for scholarships and grants to support your education as a geriatric nurse. The Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) offers this scholarship and grants annually to one of its members in good academic standing.
There are different scholarships and grants with diverse requirements offering funding from $1,500 to $2,000.
7. Catherine Grant Sigmore Memorial Bursary
The above-named bursary is offered annually by the University of Saskatchewan to one student enrolled in a BSN program at the College of Nursing with an interest in geriatric nursing care. To be eligible, you will have to submit a letter demonstrating your interest in geriatric nursing care and two reference letters from your instructors along with evidence of financial need.
8. Australian College of Nursing Aged Care Scholarships
The Aged Care Scholarship offered by the Australian College of Nursing is one of the geriatric nursing scholarships for those enrolled in a postgraduate nursing program at the college with an interest in aged care. To be eligible, you must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia, delivering direct care, and enrolled or intending to enroll in a postgraduate program.
9. Reynolds Scholarship
Reynolds Scholarship is designed for nurses preparing for careers in geriatric nursing. It is made available by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation as a means of increasing the number of gerontology nurses and caregivers.
To be eligible, you have to be enrolled full-time in the PhD nursing program at the College of Nursing at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The scholarship awards a total of $150,000 to each selected candidate for up to three years.
10. Peace Aging Care Experts Nursing Scholarships
Peace Aging Care Experts, LLC offers renewable scholarships to nursing students enrolled in geriatric nursing programs interested in the field. The scholarship aims to produce a new generation of nursing students passionate about caring for the elderly.
11. National League for Nursing Foundation Scholarship Program
The National League for Nursing Foundation offers scholarships of more than $90K to undergraduate and advanced nursing students pursuing geriatric nursing. It is awarded to students who have demonstrated a deep commitment to pursuing excellence.
12. Plein Certificate Scholarships
Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Research, Education, and Outreach is offering scholarships to support nursing students in the geriatric certificate program. Essay responses in the certificate application will serve as the application for the scholarship. The value is $500.
This wraps up the list of geriatric nursing scholarships that you can apply for. Most, if not all, are in the US and are for citizens and permanent residents of the United States. International students who want to become geriatric nurses in the US can apply for nursing scholarships for international students and direct the funding towards their education in geriatric nursing.
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