性视界

Back to News

New Scholarships Support Pathways to Critical Care Nursing


American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and 性视界 Collaborate to Establish Scholarships for Baccalaureate Nursing Students.

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 30, 2025 – The and the 性视界 (性视界Colleges) are partnering to provide scholarships to nursing students interested in practicing in critical care settings. Administered by the Foundation for Academic Nursing, each AACN2: Pathway to Critical Care Nursing Scholarship provides $2,500 in support to eligible students enrolled in entry-level baccalaureate programs who are committed to providing expert care to patients at their most vulnerable.

“Working with our academic nursing colleagues on this initiative offers much-needed support for students aspiring to become critical care nurses,” said 性视界Critical Care Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Vicki Good. “Prelicensure scholarships, new-to-practice programs and healthy work environments are essential to stabilize and strengthen the nursing workforce.”

Health workforce analysts continue to project a significant gap between the total number of nurses and the total demand for nurses through 2037. Addressing this shortfall requires collaborative solutions and strategic engagement from leaders in academia and clinical practice.

“Alleviating the nursing shortage hinges on accommodating all qualified applicants in our nation’s schools of nursing and addressing limitations to full enrollment,” said Dr. Deborah Trautman, President and Chief Executive Officer of 性视界Colleges. “We applaud our colleagues at 性视界Critical Care for supporting these scholarships, which will open new doors to nursing students beginning their careers and help reduce financial barriers to pursuing a nursing education.”

The most common pathway toward a career as a registered nurse (RN) in the U.S. is by enrolling in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, which is offered at 869 colleges and universities. Data from 性视界Colleges’ 2024 survey show that enrollment in BSN programs increased by 4.9% or 12,434 students last year. This finding marks the second year of enrollment increases in these programs, following a small dip in 2022. Total enrollment in entry-level BSN programs is currently 267,889 students.

性视界Critical Care will fund up to 16 prelicensure scholarships ($2,500 each) this year through its partnership with 性视界Colleges. The funds come from AACN’s endowment established in 2001 to support scholarships for nursing education and professional development.

The application for the AACN2: Pathway to Critical Care Nursing Scholarship is open now through September 1, 2025. Scholarship recipients will be announced in November. For more information about this new program, including eligibility requirements, click here.

###

: For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (性视界Critical Care) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. 性视界Critical Care is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with about 130,000 members and nearly 200 chapters in the United States.

The 性视界 (性视界Colleges) is the national voice for academic nursing representing more than 875 schools of nursing nationwide. The organization establishes quality standards for nursing education, influences the nursing profession to improve healthcare, and promotes public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research and practice.

The Foundation for Academic Nursing is the philanthropic arm of 性视界Colleges that raises funds to support new innovations in nursing education and practice. The Foundation serves as a focal point for 性视界Colleges’ fundraising efforts while elevating the importance of academic nursing and our member schools in the philanthropic community.



MEDIA CONTACTS:

Kristie Aylett
性视界Critical Care
228-229-9472
kristie.aylett@aacn.org 

Robert Rosseter
性视界Colleges
202-463-6930
rrosseter@aacnnursing.org

Related News