Local hospitals and healthcare agencies recruit Fairfield University nursing students with scholarship aid | Press Releases

Fairfield University's School of Nursing is creating partnerships with local hospitals and healthcare agencies that attract nursing candidates to employment opportunities with scholarships that help pay some tuition costs.

Tsedron Normatsang is one of two recipients selected for a $10,000 scholarship awarded by Stamford Hospital to Fairfield University accelerated degree nursing students in exchange for a promise to work at the hospital for at least one year. The accelerated program is designed for students who already have a bachelor's degree in another field, and would like to pursue a career in nursing. After coming to the United States from Tibet, Normatsang earned a bachelor's in American Studies from Wesleyan University and worked as a tutor for three years before deciding to enter the accelerated nursing program at Fairfield.

"Stamford Hospital is a full service community teaching hospital and it will be an excellent place to work when I graduate," wrote Normatsang, a resident of Woodbridge.

Darien resident Paula Scotti Shevlin was the other recipient.

"Partnering with Fairfield University to facilitate student nurses' achievement of their educational goals is a situation where everyone wins - the student, the university and the hospital," stated Pam Jamieson, senior vice president, Patient Services at Stamford Hospital. "The deepening nursing shortage can be reversed in part through our organizations working together to provide innovative programming to meet the needs of individuals committed to becoming professional nurses."

Stamford Hospital is not alone in offering scholarships to pay for some of the Fairfield University tuition costs of future employees.

TransCon Builders, Inc., which owns several local rehabilitation, skilled care, and assisted living facilities, offers both undergraduate and graduate nursing scholarships of $7,500 in aid for one year of service and $15,000 for two years. Two of TransCon's facilities, Wilton Meadows and The Greens at Cannondale, are also used as training sites for certain classes provided by the School of Nursing.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to enrich the students' educational program and the services we provide to the patients in our facilities," said Mario Sinicariello, TransCon's vice president of operations.

White Plains Hospital offers scholarships for $5,000 a year for up to two years of service for undergraduate and graduate nursing candidates.

The accelerated degree program is an ideal source of new nurses for local facilities because its students are all local residents, said Carole Ann Pomarico, M.S.N., M.A., R.N., assistant professor of nursing and adult program coordinator in the School of Nursing. "The program allows students with a bachelor's degree who have completed the required math and science courses and attained a sufficient GPA to earn a Fairfield University bachelor's degree in nursing in 15 months. Since the program is full-time, the students have to leave their existing jobs, which creates a real need for scholarship aid," Pomarico said.

"It provides an opportunity for students who weren't financially able to realize their goal to become a professional nurse," Pomarico said.

In turn, the hospitals and healthcare agencies are ensured nursing recruits in a very competitive landscape. "People who enter the field for a second degree in nursing achieve gainful employment quickly," Pomarico said, adding that employers appreciate the high caliber of students at Fairfield and the quality education they receive.

Fairfield University is working on even more partnerships with healthcare employers, said Jeanne Novotny, Ph.D., F.A.A.N., dean of the School of Nursing. "The program is growing thanks to the recruitment efforts of Professor Pomarico, and the support she gives to students while they are in the program," Dr. Novotny said.

"This is truly a win-win for our students and the local hospitals and healthcare agencies looking to employ them," Dr. Novotny said. "We all know that nurses are in great demand and will continue to be for many years to come. These programs provide students who would like to enter the field with substantial financial subsidies that enable them to pursue the nursing degree. At the same time they guarantee nurses to local healthcare employers."

For more information about the accelerated nursing degree program, contact Pomarico at (203) 254-4000, ext. 2711.