The Dane G. Hansen Foundation has awarded the Department of Nursing at Fort Hays State University a $50,000 grant to provide scholarship support for undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the registered nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs.

"This scholarship will help students afford a higher education from the Department of Nursing," said Dr. Christine Hober, chair of the Department of Nursing. "The expectations for the nursing profession have grown exponentially to include more complex patient care in all arenas of health care."

"In addition to caring for complex patient needs," she said, "nurses are expected to demonstrate competency in the areas of evidence-based practice, health policy and cost, quality improvement, technology and information management systems, coordination of care, and collaboration with other professionals."

A maximum of 25 students, enrolling full time or part time, will be eligible for this scholarship yearly. Applicants must live in a northwest Kansas county while attending Fort Hays State University, meet all admission criteria for the RN to BSN program, and agree to work full time in a northwest Kansas community for at least two years after graduation.

Eligible counties are: Cheyenne, Cloud, Decatur, Ellis, Ellsworth, Gove, Graham, Jewell, Lincoln, Logan, Mitchell, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Rawlins, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Saline, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Trego and Wallace.

For more information, contact the Department of Nursing at 785-628-4255.