National Association of Hispanic Nurses

 

Promoting Hispanic Nurses to Improve the Health of Our Communities

 

        Contact: Amanda Villarreal

        Phone Number: (202)387-2477

        Email: amandav@thehispanicnurses.org

        Website: www.thehispanicnurses.org

 

 

National Association of Hispanic Nurses to offer $40,000 in Scholarships

to Hispanic Bilingual/Bicultural Nursing Students

 

 

Washington, D.C. (March 16, 2010) – The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) is offering $40,000 in scholarships to bilingual/bicultural students pursuing careers in the nursing field.

The scholarships, funded by United Health Foundation, are part of the Avanzamos con Ayuda de United Health Foundation (We Advance with Support by United Health Foundation) program aimed at increasing the number of qualified, bilingual/bicultural Hispanic student nurses. As the Hispanic population increases in the United States, the need for bilingual/bicultural Hispanic nurses rises.  Of the more than 3 million registered nurses in the United States, only about 50,000 – or 2 percent – are Hispanic.

To qualify for a scholarship, students must be enrolled in an accredited undergraduate baccalaureate or graduate school nursing program.  More information on the Avanzamos con Ayuda de United Health Foundation scholarship program, including an application form, is available on the NAHN Web site at www.thehispanicnurses.org/scholarship.

“Financial barriers, including the rising costs of tuition and books, is one of the primary challenges facing Hispanic-American students and one of the reasons Hispanics do not complete their higher education,” said NAHN President Norma Martinez Rogers, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN.  “We believe these scholarship awards will help Hispanic baccalaureate and graduate nursing students achieve their educational and career goals and play an important role in reducing the disparities among our nation's health care work force.  NAHN looks forward to future collaborations with United Health Foundation.” 

"With these scholarships, United Health Foundation is helping to address disparities in the nursing field to ensure that everyone, including diverse communities, has access to quality, culturally competent care,” said Jeannine Rivet, UnitedHealth Group executive vice president and interim president of United Health Foundation. "To be able to partner with a respected organization such as the National Association of Hispanic Nurses to create these scholarships is a rewarding and effective way to help foster a more diverse health care work force."

NAHN is actively involved in issues affecting Hispanic nurses and the health of Hispanic communities on local, state, regional and national levels. The organization is committed to work toward providing equal access to education, professional and economic opportunities for Hispanic nurses and to improving the health and nursing care for Hispanic consumers.

About the National Association of Hispanic Nurses

NAHN founded in 1975, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Hispanic nurses to improve the healthcare of our communities. NAHN has 40 chapters and nearly 1,900 members nationwide.

 

About the United Health Foundation

Guided by a passion to help people live healthier lives, United Health Foundation provides helpful information to support decisions that lead to better health outcomes and healthier communities. The Foundation also supports activities that expand access to quality health care services for those in challenging circumstances and partners with others to improve the well being of communities. Since established by UnitedHealth Group [NYSE: UNH] in 1999 as a not for profit, private foundation, the Foundation has committed more than $176 million to improve health and health care. For more information, visit www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.      

 

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