Nurse Practitioner (NP) Scholarships Applications Available

Published on: June 2, 2023

Watertown, New York — Applications are now being accepted for the sixth annual Susan Peters Nursing Scholarship. A retired nurse from Samaritan Medical Center established a scholarship through the Samaritan Medical Center Foundation for Registered Nurses (RNs) looking to advance their careers as Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Sadly, Peters passed away in 2020, yet this scholarship remains part of her legacy and commitment to healthcare in the community.

The Susan Peters Nursing Scholarship was established in 2018 to assist with the education costs for an RN who is continuing their education, specifically to pursue a Nurse Practitioner degree. Two scholarships of $2,000 will be awarded each year.

Peters graduated from the former House of the Good Samaritan School of Nursing and retired from Samaritan Medical Center (SMC) as a Certified Oncology Nurse; prior to that, she had served as a staff RN and for more than 20 years as a Nurse Manager of Medical/Surgical, Orthopedic and Alternate Level of Care Units.

Beth Fipps, Vice President of Samaritan Foundation and Community Services explained, “We are so grateful to Susan for leaving a legacy to a profession she was so committed to. Susan so generously established this scholarship to promote the Nurse Practitioner profession because she felt there is an increasing need and role for such due to the nationwide shortage of physicians.”

Nurse Practitioners provide many of the same services as physicians, including developing treatment plans for their patients, ordering tests, performing minor procedures, and prescribing medication.

The 2022 scholarships awardees were Desiree Fuller, Family Nurse Practitioner at Samaritan Women’s Wellness and Breast Care and Dan Ladouceur, RN in the Inpatient Mental Health Unit, pending completion of his Nurse Practitioner program.

The application period for the Susan Peters Nursing Scholarship opened on June 1, 2023, and concludes July 15, 2023 with scholarship award announcement by August 1, 2023.

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 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 they have a financial need. Applicants should submit two letters of recommendation and the two most recent transcripts along with the application to support the RNs pursuit of a Nurse Practitioner degree.

For more information or to obtain a scholarship application, please visit www.samaritanhealth.com/scholarshipapplication or contact the SMC Foundation at 315-785-4584 or visit www.samaritanhealth.com/scholarships. The application can be completed online, emailed to [email protected] or mailed to 830 Washington Street, Watertown, NY 13601.

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