Wright State and Premier Health announce scholarship agreement for online RN-BSN program

Wright State’s College of Nursing and Health and Premier Health will provide scholarship assistance for Premier Health nurses to earn a bachelor’s degree through the university’s RN-BSN Completion program.

Wright State University and Premier Health today announced a “preferred partnership status” in a new online RN-BSN scholarship program to further the education of the Premier Health nursing workforce.

The agreement assists Premier Health nurses to take classes in the online RN-BSN Completion program offered by the Wright State University-Miami Valley College of Nursing and Health.

The RN-BSN Completion program is designed for registered nurses who have an associate degree or diploma in nursing to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Students may complete the program in as little as 15 months. All courses are held online to accommodate registered nurses’ typical work schedules.

Effective fall 2015, the program is intended for benefit-eligible Premier Health nursing employees who have successfully completed their introductory employment period. The scholarship is an additional benefit for Premier Health staff who have already been approved for the organization’s enhanced tuition assistance program.

Wright State will provide Premier Health nurses additional scholarship assistance to pay for classes in the RN-BSN Completion program.

Syl Trepanier, D.N.P., Premier Health vice president and chief nursing officer, said, “We’re excited about our partnership with Wright State University. We believe that the culture of service excellence that is the hallmark of the Premier Health nursing staff, coupled with merits of Wright State’s outstanding academic traditions, will serve not only our respective institutions well, but, more importantly, will enable us to better serve the health care needs of the people of southwest Ohio while advancing the nursing profession.”

“In partnership with Premier Health, we are happy to be a part of this incredible opportunity,” said College of Nursing and Health Dean Rosalie Mainous, Ph.D. “Nursing as a profession is rapidly changing, but our RN-BSN program has been designed so that graduates will be prepared for leadership roles in the evolving health care landscape.”

“Our partnership validates our commitment to strengthen the future nursing workforce for our region. The online program and curriculum is perfect for the working nurse,” said Ann Stalter, Ph.D., Wright State associate professor and director of the RN-BSN Completion program.

In the last few years, the College of Nursing and Health has focused on enhancing its nursing curriculum and student support services.

The RN-BSN Completion program focuses on developing nurses’ leadership skills and giving nurses the tools and knowledge to help consumers navigate a complex health care system. The program includes a complete redesign and upgrade of online courses that emphasize interactivity and community among students.

The objective of the scholarship program is to help to defray out-of-pocket expenses for Premier Health employees who are either pursuing a nursing degree from Wright State, or who are taking approved prerequisite courses for the university’s RN-BSN Completion program. The scholarship applies to tuition expenses only and is applicable after an employee utilizes the Premier Health enhanced tuition assistance program for the calendar year.

The preferred partnership agreement is the latest in a long relationship between Wright State and Premier Health.

The Wright State and Premier Health Neuroscience Institute unites the Dayton region’s most advanced biomedical research institution with the clinical resources of its largest hospital system. The institute’s research component is housed in Wright State’s Neuroscience and Engineering Collaboration Building, which opened in April.

The organizations also collaborated to create the Department of Neurology and Residency Program in the Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine, attracting top clinical neurologists to the region to improve patient care in the community.

In 2012, the Boonshoft School of Medicine, the Wright State Research Institute and Premier Health formed the Wright State University and Premier Health Partners Clinical Trials Research Alliance to organize trials that help physicians find new ways to treat patients dealing with chronic diseases like cystic fibrosis and Alzheimer’s, as well as diabetes, asthma and stroke and much more.