Columbus, IN — The Indiana University School of Nursing at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) has received two gifts totaling $40,000 from two Columbus-based charitable foundations. Both gifts will be used to provide scholarships for nursing students in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years.

The Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation made a gift of $30,000 to the IUPUC nursing program. The Clarence & Inez Custer Foundation made a gift of $10,000.

“We presented these two foundations with information about the critical need for baccalaureate-prepared nurses in Indiana. Their respective board members took action to meet this local need. The two gifts will help nursing students have an opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degrees with fewer financial constraints,” said Stacy Zearing, director of development and alumni relations at IUPUC.

According to the National Institute of Medicine, patient outcomes improve when they receive care from registered nurses (RNs) who have four-year nursing degrees. Currently, about 47 percent of RNs in Indiana have bachelor’s degrees. As the Indiana University School of Nursing works to raise that percentage, student scholarships are crucial.

“The vast majority of IUPUC’s nursing students remain in southeastern Indiana after graduation. On behalf of our students, I thank these foundations for their support. Their gifts will make a direct impact on the quality of nursing care in communities across southeastern Indiana, including Columbus, Seymour, North Vernon, and many others,” reported Dr. Beth A. Sharer, head of the Indiana University School of Nursing at IUPUC.

The scholarship recipients were selected based on their grade point average (GPA) and written responses to an essay question requiring them discuss how earning a BSN degree will impact the quality of nursing care they provide.