09/12/17 — Gifts boost UMO nursing

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Gifts boost UMO nursing

By From staff reports
Published in News on September 12, 2017 5:50 AM

The Wayne Memorial Hospital Foundation has contributed more than $50,000 to the University of Mount Olive to expand a program started earlier this year to help qualifying registered nurses earn a bachelor of science in nursing degree.

This investment builds on a program established in January when Wayne UNC Health Care contributed an initial $50,000, creating the Preferred Employer Tuition Gap Scholarship program. That money was used to supplement the educational costs of Wayne UNC employees seeking BSN degrees through UMO.

Qualifying recipients of the scholarship must have been employed as an RN at Wayne UNC for at least 12 months. Several additional requirements must be met to receive and continue receiving the scholarship fund, chief among those is continuing service with Wayne UNC for a specified time. In addition, UMO will also offer each eligible participant a special Wayne UNC Preferred Employee Tuition rate.

"We are pleased to be able to provide our nurses with affordable and convenient access to the RN to BSN program at UMO," said Donna Wimberly, senior vice president of patient services and chief nursing officer at Wayne UNC Health Care. "This is an exciting partnership that will benefit not only our nurses but also the communities we serve by providing a higher percentage of BSN-prepared nurses to care for our patients."

WMH is a 316-bed community, not-for-profit hospital, which has been serving residents in Wayne County and surrounding areas for more than 120 years. It operates under a Management Services Agreement with UNC Health Care.

UMO is a private institution, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. It has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Washington, Jacksonville and in Smithfield at Johnston Community College.