Student Scholarships Help AMSN Student Members Become the Next Generation of Medical-Surgical Nurses

Each year, AMSN’s Student Scholarship Program offers $1,000 scholarships to up to 10 current prelicensure students to help cover their education expenses. Applicants must be enrolled in LPN/LVN, ADN, Diploma, or BSN programs, have a GPA of 3.0 or above, and be a student member of AMSN. “The scholarship provides financial support to students who have demonstrated their passion for nursing through their application essays and their involvement in various curricular, co-curricular, and community activities,” Nelson Tuazon, DNP, DBA, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, CPHQ, Chair of AMSN’s Awards, Grants and Scholarship (AGS) Committee, says.

Supporting future medical-surgical nurses through the student scholarship program is an important way that AMSN honors its mission. According to Katie Chargualaf, PhD, RN, CMSRN, CNE, FAAN, Immediate Past Chair of the AGS Committee, “AMSN is committed to supporting a medical-surgical nursing workforce capable of providing quality patient care. Preparation to provide quality care begins while students are enrolled in their respective nursing program (both undergraduate and graduate). Creating and supporting the Student Scholarship is just one more way that AMSN demonstrates its commitment to quality care and medical-surgical nursing practice nationally.” Tuazon adds, “The AMSN Student Scholarship also supports AMSN’s mission through the identification of qualified applicants with due consideration to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

AMSN Student Scholarship recipients stand out among their peers by demonstrating academic excellence and professionalism in the application process through their writing and service to their school and community, Chargualaf explains. They also add richness to the diversity of applications received and reviewed by AMSN every year, Tuazon says. “The narratives included in the application packet reflect a tapestry of the various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds of the applicants. Their stories are inspiring and transcend geographic, racial, and ethnic boundaries,” he says. “In AMSN’s own way, the Student Scholarship lays the pathways toward the students’ academic success through financial support and recognition of their achievements.”

Not only do the recipients benefit from the scholarship award, but they also reap numerous benefits through their AMSN Student Membership. “Student memberships in AMSN are immeasurable for a number of reasons. Appreciating the financial burdens often experienced by college students, AMSN offers student memberships at no cost. Additionally, membership entitles students to access MedSurg Nursing, the official journal of AMSN. Not only does this encourage students to read professional, peer-reviewed publications, but it also helps assure students' practice is grounded in the research evidence. Further, it prepares students to actively engage in unit level or organizational quality improvement initiatives shortly after graduating,” Chargualaf says. “Finally, exposing students to a professional nursing organization before graduation encourages them to continue to engage with professional nursing organizations once they are licensed nurses through paid memberships. The benefits of membership in a professional nursing organization include networking opportunities, professional development, access to evidence-based resources, and timely updates to their professional practice.”

The application deadline for the AMSN Student Scholarship is Nov. 30. Eligible student members can apply on the AMSN website. To apply for AMSN Student Membership and access all your AMSN benefits, visit the Student Membership page on the AMSN website.