RNs LEAD Scholarship Program

Rural Nurses Leading Eldercare Advancement through Diversity (RNs LEAD) project was established thanks to a two-year, $972,435 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). RNs LEAD is designed to address the lack of diversity in the nursing workforce, evidenced-based barriers to matriculation encountered by disadvantaged nursing students, and limited basic training for nurses in the care of older adults in rural areas. It will focus on the HHS’ and HRSA’s clinical priority of transforming the workforce by targeting the need.

It will also provide academic and social supports, as well as geriatric clinical immersion experiences, to help them be successful. Priority will be given to disadvantaged nursing students who identify as an underrepresented racial/ethnic minority, reside in one of 18 rural, West Tennessee counties in West Tennessee and/or have an interest in practicing geriatric nursing.

LCON has a strong record of educating nurse leaders across the health care continuum and has the largest nursing program in West Tennessee with more than 800 undergraduate students enrolled across two campuses, in urban Shelby County and rural Madison County. Students are a diverse group with 61.9 percent disadvantaged. Among these, 62 percent are first generation college students; 31.8 percent are underrepresented minorities; and 35.9 percent of graduates work in medically underserved communities. More than 80 percent of nursing students on the Lambuth campus originate from neighboring rural counties, where they often return after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.