Lydia’s Professional Uniforms and AACN Nursing Scholarship

The Lydia’s Professional Uniforms/AACN Excellence in Academics Nursing Scholarship is an award that acknowledges the important role nurses play in the health care system. It was developed based on a commitment to improving access to baccalaureate nursing education programs. ["Press Release: Lydia's Professional Uniforms Partners with AACN to Launch a New Scholarship Program for Baccalaureate Students." American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Advancing Higher Education in Nursing. 2004. 25 September 2008. .]

History

In fall 2006 Lydia’s Professional Uniforms and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) collaborated to form a new scholarship program for nurses enrolled in baccalaureate programs. Lydia’s Professional Uniforms is a leading retailer of medical uniforms, nursing scrubs and medical supplies for health professionals. [ "Lydia's Uniforms: Scrubs built upon fashion, function and value." 2008. 25 September 2008. .] The AACN is an organization that, “serves the public interest by providing standards and resources, and by fostering innovation to advance professional nursing education, research, and practice." ["AACN Mission Statement." American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Advancing Higher Education in Nursing. March 2008.25 September 2008. .] Since the collaboration between the AACN and Lydia’s Uniforms, scholarships have been awarded to two deserving students each fall and spring semester.

Past Recipients

*Amanda Lee was a recipient of the Lydia’s Uniforms/AACN Nursing Scholarship in fall 2006. Amanda applied for the scholarship while she was a student at South Dakota State University College of Nursing looking to specialize in Geriatric Nursing.
*Chimezie Iwwuanyanwu was a recipient of the Lydia’s Uniforms/AACN Nursing Scholarship in fall 2006. Chimezie applied while attending Texas Women’s University pursuing his goals of furthering his career in nursing as an educator and operating a health care service agency.
*Yonis Mudey was a recipient of the Lydia’s Uniforms/AACN Nursing Scholarship in spring 2007. Yonis applied while attending San Francisco State University pursuing a BSN with a short term goal of becoming an Advanced Practice Nurse and a long-term goal of becoming a researcher in adult pulmonary care.
*Nancy Carlin was a recipient of the Lydia’s Uniforms/AACN Nursing Scholarship in spring 2007. Nancy applied while attending Duquesne University. Her main goal was to become a Nurse Practitioner with a Masters in Counseling.
*Meghan Campbell was a recipient of the Lydia’s Uniforms/AACN Nursing Scholarship in fall 2007. She applied while attending University of Illinois Chicago, pursuing her goal to become a Nurse Anesthetist.
*Sadie Jones was a recipient of the Lydia’s Uniforms/ AACN Nursing Scholarship in spring 2008. Sadie applied while attending Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri-Columbia, where she was pursuing a Master’s degree in nursing.
*Monique Henry was a recipient of the Lydia’s Uniforms/ AACN Nursing Scholarship in spring 2008. Already an LPN and RN, Monique applied for the scholarship while going to school at the University of North Florida where she was working toward her goal of becoming an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner.

About the Award

The Lydia’s Professional Uniforms/AACN Excellence in Academics Nursing Scholarship is awarded to two recipients each fall and spring semester in the form of $2500 per winner. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is August 1st for fall and November 1st for spring. In order to qualify for entry the students must fill out the application form, have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.5 and write and submit a 250 word essay detailing their career goals and financial needs. ["Lydia's Professional Uniform/AACN Excellence in Academics Nursing Scholarship." Rural Assistance Center. 5 May 2008. 25 September 2008. . ] Applications for the scholarship can be found at the [http://www.lydiasuniforms.com Lydia's Uniforms'] and [http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ AACN's] websites.

Judging Process

Each semester, around 300 applications are received. The applications for the scholarship are carefully reviewed by the AACN and narrowed down to a group of finalists; the qualifications of the applicants are then checked. After deciding on a concrete group of finalists, the entries are sent on to Lydia’s Uniforms where a panel of judges chooses a winner. Winners are chosen based on the information provided in their essay.

References