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Marietta Memorial announces new Student Nursing Investment Grant Program

By Nancy Taylor 4 min read

Marietta Memorial Health System continued the celebration Thursday of its new program to encourage nursing careers, provide flexible options for nursing training and give money to student nurses for day-to-day expenses along the way.

The ultimate goal is to help people complete their healthcare educations and join Memorial Health System.

MHS has lots of nursing opportunities and it's willing to put money where it will help the most, several hospital representatives explained at a signing ceremony for the first 10 students accepted in the new Student Nursing Investment Grant Program.

That program is being funded by a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and two representatives of that department were welcomed Thursday. Jonathan McCracken, the USDA's Rural Development State Director for Ohio, was one of several speakers who told the group Thursday that a planned living expenses stipend for nursing students was "life changing."

MHS is working closely with the nursing programs at Washington State Community College and West Virginia University at Parkersburg. The two schools provide students who are already on the path to study nursing, and they fill the requirement of students attending community colleges being able to use the grant funds.

Those students chosen for the Memorial program each will get $6,000 per semester to spend as they see fit, whether it's on rent, transportation, food, child care or another necessity.

"A nursing semester runs about five months, so $6,000 works out to $1,200 a month. That will be really helpful," said Paige Smith, CNE, who is vice president of patient services and the chief nursing executive in the MHS system.

"Our local high schools and colleges are great partners," Smith said. "The grant and these partnerships will help carry on the drive to keep health care local, to add and keep nurses who are going to be in our workforce with local ties, with local families."

WSCC President Dr. Vicky Wood and Director of Nursing Tricia Schaad were joined by Vice President of Academic Affairs at WVU-P Dr. David Lancaster, and the school's Nursing and Health Sciences Dean, Kathy Frum. Wood and Lancaster echoed the sentiment from McCracken that the money would be life changing, giving more students the options and support to reach their academic goals.

It was the 10 WSCC and WVU-P students at the Thursday ceremony who were the most important persons in the room, according to the healthcare education officials. They included WSCC students Hannah Campbell, Marie-Louise Campos, Caitlyn Miller, Kaylee Morris, Emma Szymanski and Ashley Weckbacher. The WVU-P students were Miranda Becker, Kearanie Hopkins, Lydia Hostottle, Kayleigh Johnson and Victoria Thomas. They each signed a certificate of commitment to the MHS Student Nursing Investment Grant program.

"In two years we'll be celebrating our registered nurses," Wood said of the students.

"But those are only the first 10. We have room for 100 in this program. These are the first 10, we want 100!" said Andria Rexroad of the MHS human resources department.

"Yes," said Offenberger. "We want to get the word out that we have information about this program and other types of support for nursing education. If you're thinking about being a nurse, or you've thought about going back and finishing the program you started, go to our website. There's a phone number you can call, lots of information, and an 'apply now' button. The website explains the grant we've been talking about today, plus student nurse tuition assistance, the $18,000 sign-on bonus if you get your RN license and commit to three years with Memorial Health System once you graduate. It explains the Nursing Career Pathway that gives you graduated steps in your on-the-job training."

For more information on Memorial Health System nursing education opportunities, go to mhsystem.org/student-nurse/.

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