A massive $200,000 funding commitment has been announced by Health Carousel, recognized as the 17th biggest healthcare staffing agency in the United States. The commitment marks 2022 as the Year of the Nurse Educator and International Nurses Day in 2022.
The purpose of the financial promise is to support nursing education and nurse educators, a cause that Health Carousel has supported since its inception in 2004 via an initiative named “Light the Way.”
About Light the Way
The name “Light the Way” is inspired by famous nurse Florence Nightingale, who cared for wounded war soldiers using only a small oil lamp for illumination. Florence Nightingale is considered to have founded the practice of modern nursing. Through its Light the Way program, Health Carousel has promoted and supported various initiatives and positively influenced the field of nursing.
The Founder and Board Chair of Health Carousel, Bill DeVille, said, “Health Carousel is proud to have a tradition of investing in nursing’s future. Since 2004, hundreds of nurses have received Masters of Nursing degrees. This is something that most people don’t realize. These awards have helped many people become leaders in their field and educators internationally. With this new $200,000 commitment, we are making a big financial commitment, but this is what we need to do to support the field of nursing and the many obstacles that have arisen due to the pandemic of recent years.”
How the $200,000 Funding Commitment Works
The $200,000 funding commitment from Health Carousel will take place over the course of three years. Both U.S. and international nursing education and educators will benefit during that time.
The U.S. portion of funds has been earmarked to grant scholarships to nursing students for their graduate and/or post-graduate degrees. While the administration of these scholarships has yet to be ironed out, Health Carousel has already named Chamberlain University as their preferred partner for Health Carousel’s nursing education program.
The Light the Way initiative focuses on ethical recruitment as well as the sustainability of the nurse profession. As such, a portion of the funding will be provided to overseas areas, such as the Philippines and Uganda.
The Philippines plans to use the funds to support Ph.D. nurse educator scholarships to improve nursing education in general and empower more nursing students to have access to quality nursing education. In Uganda, plans are underway to build and create a nurse-training lab, which will be achieved with the assistance of the Uganda Nurse and Midwives Union. Additional local and international programs are being developed and will be announced in the future.
Earl Dalton, Chief Nursing Officer of Health Carousel, states,”Experienced nurses in the US are rapidly leaving nursing, and our patient population is growing older with more complex care needs. Health Carousel is investing in advanced nursing degrees and training here and abroad to help address this critical situation.”
