VCNP values education for the advancement of nurse practitioners. In an effort to promote education and scholarship in our membership, the VNCP Nominations and Awards Committee will award a one-time scholarship to a student enrolled in an accredited, nursing doctoral (DNP or PhD) program.
Eligibility:
- Applicant must be a member in good standing of the VCNP for a minimum of 6 months, and practice or plan to practice in Virginia.
- Applicant shall be a licensed nurse practitioner in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
- Applicant must have completed a minimum of 15 credit hours of the doctoral program (DNP or PhD), exhibit academic excellence and a commitment to advanced practice nursing, with strong clinical and leadership abilities.
- Applicant must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
- Please send applications to Christy Jenkins at christy.jenkins@easterassociates.com.
- The deadline for applications is September 1, 2024.
Submission must include the following:
- CV/Resume
- Transcript of completed graduate course work
- Two letters of recommendation: one from a school faculty member, and a second from either the applicant’s VCNP regional president or regional board member with co-signature of regional president or from a state board member.
- A personal statement detailing how the student anticipates utilizing their doctoral degree to impact practice, improve patient outcomes, and further the mission of the VCNP. Essays should be written in APA (American Psychological Association) format and include no more than 500 words. (See Essay Rubric below.)
Monies shall be awarded to the school the applicant attends for the purposes of tuition, books or fees related to the doctoral program.
Essay Rubric
Task
Write an effective persuasive essay, not to exceed 500 words, which clearly and accurately presents your response to the following questions: How will obtaining the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree improve my ability to practice as a NP? What will it mean for my patients and the profession at large? How will you use this degree to further the vision of VCNP? (You may include personal/professional qualities and talents as support for your response.)
Performance Conditions
You must create your own essay. Your final product should be written in APA format.
Scoring
Your essay will be scored using the Assessment Criteria listed below,. The four areas will carry equal weight. Your total numerical score will be 0-20.
Assessment Criteria
| Area Addressed | Zero | One | Two | Three | Four | Five
|
| Purpose | Does not answer task question? | Does not have a complete response? | Addresses topic, but strays from main idea | Addresses topic, but does not elaborate | Addresses topic and gives minimal elaboration points | Covers topic completely and has a clearly defined thesis statement |
| Support | No support given or does not relate to topic | One reason or only reasons not related to topic | Two reasons that relate to topic | Three reasons that relate to topic | Four reasons that relate to topic | Ample reasons that support or relate to the topic |
| Organization & Logic
| Rambles, repeats, or loses focus | Has no structure | Some cohesion and unity of thoughts | More cohesion and unity of thoughts | Much unity | Complete unified and well-focused |
| Writing Skills: Mechanics, Usage, etc. | More than eight errors | Has six to eight errors | Four to five errors | Two to three errors | One error | No errors |
Applications will be reviewed by the Awards and Nominations Committee of the VCNP and must be submitted no later than the established due date. Please check email for updates. All materials must be sent as one packet. Electronic submissions are preferred. For more information about the VCNP Scholarship Program please contact the awards chair.