Norwalk Hospital partners with Fairfield University to offer scholarship aid to nursing students

Norwalk Hospital partners with Fairfield University to offer scholarship aid to nursing students

Eileen Borowiec had considered studying nursing as an undergraduate, but ended up pursuing marketing instead, graduating from Fairfield University in 2000. Her degree landed her a marketing position in the pharmaceutical industry, but she soon realized that a desk job wasn't for her. However, the position provided her the opportunity to work with healthcare professionals and the idea of a nursing career once again surfaced.

"I ended up talking to doctors and nurses all day," said Borowiec, a Norwalk resident who decided to pursue a second degree in nursing at Fairfield University. Borowiec entered the full-time accelerated degree program this summer, which meant she could not hold a full-time job. So she was elated when Norwalk Hospital offered her a $10,000 scholarship to offset the cost of the education.

Sarah Stansel, another second-degree nursing candidate at Fairfield, will also receive the scholarship. "It was very significant," said Stansel, a Southbury resident whose first degree is in behavioral science. "Having a hospital in the area willing to help fund your education is a tremendous help."

In exchange for the scholarship, Stansel and Borowiec have both agreed to work at Norwalk Hospital for two years. For Norwalk, the scholarship program is a way to recruit nurses with a high quality education.

Image: Stansel and Borowiec

(left to right) Sarah Stansel and Eileen Borowiec

"We are very pleased to be able to offer programs that will encourage people to enter the profession of nursing," said Jan Mola, RN, patient care service director at Norwalk Hospital, adding that nursing is such a rewarding profession. Norwalk also has a long-standing partnership with Fairfield in offering the Grace Cole Jones Scholarship to Fairfield University undergraduates who are Norwalk residents.

The arrangement is one of several partnerships that Fairfield University's School of Nursing is creating with local hospitals and healthcare agencies looking to attract nursing candidates to employment opportunities with scholarships that help pay some tuition costs. Stamford Hospital; TransCon Builders, Inc., which owns several local rehabilitation, skilled care, and assisted living facilities; and White Plains Hospital all offer scholarships toward the tuition of second-degree nursing students who sign on to work at their facilities when they graduate.

The second-degree program caters to local residents who will usually be looking for jobs at local facilities when they graduate, according to 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.

"These students, because of their varied backgrounds, bring a special enrichment to professional nursing" Pomarico said.

"Fairfield University hopes to continue to build these win-win partnerships with area healthcare providers," said Jeanne Novotny, Ph.D., F.A.A.N., dean of the School of Nursing. "The demand for nurses is great and will only increase as our population ages. Hospitals and other healthcare agencies are very interested in investing in nursing candidates who are pursuing their degrees."

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

Posted On: 10-04-2005 10:10 AM

Volume: 38 Number: 56