Vanderbilt University Medical Center is welcoming the first graduates of the Nurse Scholars Program, which pays for up to four semesters of nursing school tuition at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) or Cumberland University in return for a work commitment to VUMC.
The welcoming of the graduates comes as the latest group of nursing scholars were recently accepted into the program, which began accepting scholars in 2023. The program will pay up to $7,500 in tuition per semester, which is applied after grants and other scholarships.
In turn, scholars agree to work for VUMC one year for each semester of tuition assistance received, up to four years. VUSN and Cumberland University are participating in the program, and other institutions may be added.
“Vanderbilt started this program because we recognize that there are many people in the community who want to become nurses, but the cost of tuition may be a barrier,” said Carmen Mauldin, MSN, RN, director of Clinical Education & Professional Development for the VUMC Central Team. “We are excited about the opportunity to engage with nursing students while they are in school about the benefits of being a VUMC nurse. This gives them the opportunity to know and learn about us as a future employer.”
Students can apply to the Nurse Scholars Program after being accepted into nursing school or beginning in their first semester, depending on their program’s structure. After graduation, students will be admitted to the VUMC Nurse Residency Program, a one-year program that supports newly licensed RNs as they transition from academic to professional nursing. The program supports the development of 500 to 700 effective, competent and committed VUMC nurses each year through multiple practice settings, both inpatient and outpatient.
Nurse residents receive regular learning opportunities and can state preferences of which areas of the hospital they would like to work. The Nurse Residency Program is accredited with distinction by the American Nurses Credentialling Center (ANCC), an honor only a select number of such programs have achieved.
“Vanderbilt is a wonderful place to start your nursing career,” said Ashley Corn, DNP, RN, nursing education specialist in the Nurse Scholars Program. “The Nursing Scholars Program engages with the students to help assimilate them to the VUMC culture. We help prepare students for the nurse residency program, which offers training, education and team-building opportunities. It’s not only about becoming more knowledgeable and competent as nurses but also building a team at VUMC. I believe the teamwork at VUMC is one of our greatest strengths and what makes us stand out.”
Vanderbilt nurses are part of a major academic medical center, the only institution in Middle Tennessee that has achieved Magnet recognition from the ANCC, the highest honor an organization can receive for the provision of nursing care and interprofessional collaboration. Nurses have countless opportunities to participate in shared governance, research and evidence-based practice.