The Boise State University School of Nursing begins 2014 with gratitude for the generous support of the fundraising gala, held on Nov. 7, 2013, sponsored by the Friends of Nursing at Boise State University. The event raised a total of $78,332 – the most raised at this annual event yet.
Approximately 30 percent of these proceeds were designated to support ongoing student scholarships and will be used as requested. Student scholarships afford Boise State students the benefit of spending more time on their studies and related activities, often creating opportunities they might not otherwise experience. These experiences have great impact on nursing students and their contributions to our communities. Nursing scholarship recipient Shauna states, “Receiving a scholarship would give me the opportunity to continue my education without the constant fear that I will not be able to pay for it and will allow me more time with my children.”
The School of Nursing will apply the remaining proceeds to ongoing and new research initiatives for nursing faculty. This type of financial support provides great incentives when recruiting faculty to Boise State and enhances retention of current faculty. In fall 2013, the Friends of Nursing named nursing faculty Jane Grassley the first Friends of Nursing Innovation Scholar with $5,000 a year, renewable for two to three years, seed money for her proposed work to promote breastfeeding among adolescent mothers. Grassley will work with other Boise State faculty and Central District Health Department staff to create her proposed educational tool in the form of a game for teen mothers. Faculty and community agencies often partner together in research endeavors to identify and search for solutions to health issues, thus improving the translation of excellence in nursing education to excellence in patient care and prevention.
In these economic times when budgets are tight, faculty salaries remain comparatively low, and new state funding is nonexistent, community partnerships ensure that quality teaching, learning, and growth thrive at Boise State. With new programs beginning, changes in leadership, and faculty and staff retirements, the School of Nursing has experienced much change in the last three years. These changes have been both challenging and exhilarating. The School of Nursing is thankful for its partners because their support has helped create a premier nursing school.
The school looks forward to another progressive year of exciting stories, events, and milestones.