To help develop the next generation of home care nurses, starting this fall we will be providing full scholarships for the nursing program at Touro University’s New York School of Career and Applied Studies. The scholarships cover all educational expenses for Touro’s five-semester Associate Nursing Degree program, including the cost of tuition, textbooks and other fees.
In exchange, scholarship recipients pledge to join VNS Health as full-time nurses for at least two years following graduation and will also work at VNS Health as paid interns between semesters. To further prepare them for the unique challenges of home health care, the program’s curriculum includes several innovative courses devoted to home health nursing. These home care-specific courses, which are not typically offered in nursing school, will be taught by our nurses.
Upon completing all course requirements, participating students will graduate with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Nursing degree, making them eligible to take the New York State exam to become registered nurses
“For years, we’ve been facing a shortage of nurses in the home care workforce,” notes President and CEO, Dan Savitt. “We felt that establishing a program in which we pay the cost of a student’s education in return for a two-year work commitment is a great way to introduce new nurses to the home care field. We’re confident these new nurses will find it rewarding to be part of the VNS Health team. Ideally, they’ll also decide to stay on and have careers here as home care nurses.”
“Touro University is excited to partner with VNS Health to offer this innovative nursing program, the only one of its kind in the New York City metropolitan area,” adds Dr. Jordan Yakoby, who runs Touro’s nursing program. “Our courses emphasize the transition from student to practicing registered nurse from Day One, as students learn to become home health nurses through specialized training that includes simulations, laboratories, and internships.”
With the fall semester now in progress, the first group of scholarship students has begun attending classes at Touro’s Time Square campus. The plan is to eventually have 20 students entering the program each September and January.
“We’re very excited about getting this initiative underway and building it for the future,” says Michael Bernstein, EVP and Chief Experience Officer, who conceived of and developed the scholarship program. “Touro has an excellent reputation in New York City for preparing future nurses. It’s our hope that students who graduate from the program will then choose to work in their home boroughs, so they can give back to their community as a home care field nurse in neighborhoods that they’re already familiar with.”
