BALTIMORE, Dec. 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- As the only nursing school with a baccalaureate Peace Corps Fellows Program, the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing has seen the program nearly double over the last year. The program, which provides funding for students who are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and participate in the school's Community Outreach Program, has 44 participants this academic year, up from 23 last year.
"Through the Peace Corps Fellows Program, students have the opportunity to translate their experiences from around the world into outstanding learning and service experiences in Baltimore," says program coordinator and faculty member Lori Edwards, APRN, BC, MPH. "After working with vulnerable populations abroad, the students come to the school well-equipped to work with vulnerable populations in their own backyard."
Peace Corps Fellows are required to participate in the school's Community Outreach Program, which consists of taking the course "Community Outreach to Underserved Populations in Urban Baltimore" and then working in a multitude of clinics, schools, and community settings to provide health care services for the city's uninsured and underinsured populations. The program provides valuable health services to the community while simultaneously providing an excellent opportunity for nursing students to receive hands-on clinical training. In exchange for their commitment to community health nursing, Fellows may receive assistance or scholarships to cover a portion of their tuition cost.
"The goal of the Peace Corps Fellows Program is to provide Fellows with every resource needed to prepare them for their futures as nurses," explains Edwards. "International career mentoring is provided, and faculty often link students with nursing school opportunities internationally or direct them to other resources that will build upon their previous experience and foster their career development."
Since 1991, the School of Nursing has graduated 229 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers from the baccalaureate program. Twenty-two past undergraduate fellows are still at the school, continuing their education through Hopkins' graduate nursing programs. For more information, visit the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Peace Corps Fellows Web site: http://www.son.jhmi.edu/resources/community/peacecorps.asp.
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CONTACT: Lynn Schultz-Writsel, JHU School of Nursing's Office of Communications, 410-955-7552. lwritsel@jhmi.edu
ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF NURSING: The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing is a global leader in nursing research, education and scholarship and is ranked among the top 10 nursing higher education institutions in the country. The School's community health program is second in the nation and the nursing research program now holds eighth position among nursing schools securing federal research grants. The School continues to maintain its reputation for excellence and educates nurses who set the highest standards for patient care, exemplify scholarship, and become innovative national and international leaders in the evolution of the nursing profession and the health care system. For more information, visit http://www.son.jhmi.edu/
Media Contact: Lynn Schultz-Writsel, 410-955-7552. lwritsel@jhmi.edu
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