The Chester County Economic Development Foundation (CCEDF), through Health Care Connect, has funded Immaculata University $32,000 to be used toward scholarships for students who are enrolled in the university’s accelerated second-degree nursing program. Eight students received a $4,000 scholarship.

The scholarships are a way to address the nursing shortage. Immaculata’s accelerated second-degree nursing program is designed for students who has already earned a bachelor’s degree in another field and would like to transition into the healthcare industry.

Students in this program possess the fastest route to employment as a nurse, which can help reduce the nursing shortage. In addition, these students have significant financial need. They attend college full-time with little extra time for employment, so the scholarships will make a big impact toward helping these students complete their degree.

“By providing scholarships to Immaculata nursing students who are pursuing an accelerated second undergraduate degree so they can enter the nursing field more quickly, the Chester County Economic Development Foundation is proactively responding to the nursing shortage and helping to improve the nursing workforce.” said Jane Tang, PhD, RN, NE-BC, chair and professor for the Division of Nursing. “We are grateful for CCEDF’s amazing gifts and for its vision and support to increase the number of new nurses who are indispensable to heathcare.”

Immaculata enrolled 375 nursing students across three degree programs: pre-licensure BS, RN to BSN, and MSN. With eight simulation laboratories now available, the Division of Nursing is continually expanding and improving its programs to meet the current healthcare demand.

The names of the eight students selected for the CCEDF scholarship are:

Health Care Connect (HCC), an initiative of the Chester County Economic Development Council, is a dynamic and committed industry partnership that was established in 1998 and includes members from multiple and varied health care sectors such as hospital systems, long- and short-term care facilities, urgent care, health care affiliated private employers and more.