PhD nursing student, Sara Donevant and DNP nursing students, Jacqueline Baer and Commander Kimberly Taylor have been selected for the 2016–18 Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program of the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare.  As three of 1,000 Jonas Scholars across the country they will each receive representing grant funds from the Jonas Foundation and matching funds from the College of Nursing over the two-year period to support their doctoral studies.

“We are very pleased that the USC College of Nursing has received our third round of funding from the Jonas Foundation,” said Jeannette Andrews, Dean of the USC College of Nursing.  These funds for doctoral nursing students facilitate our mission to prepare future educators, researchers, and clinical leaders across our state.  We greatly value the Foundation’s support of our deserving students and their future impact on nursing and health care across the country.”

Sara’s PhD focus is mHealth. She is the graduate research assistant for Dr. Joan Culley’s R01 National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine grant Validating Triage for Chemical Mass Casualty Incidents - A First Step, which explores the use of a computer-based informatics tool to improve early chemical identification and to enhance patient triage in the emergency department following a chemical mass casualty incident. Sara also serves as board member for Little River Medical Center, a community health center in SC.

Jacqueline’s DNP focus is using the evidence weight protocol of obesity management in rural populations. In 2000, she opened the first Rural Health Clinic in Charleston County and was one of the first nurses in the state to own and operate a RHC.  In 2015, she was appointed to the South Carolina Board of Nursing for labor licensing and regulation by Governor Nikki Haley. 

Kimberly’s DNP focus is the Nurse Executive Leader track.  Commander Taylor was selected for promotion to Captain and has assumed the role as Senior Nurse Executive of Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi, Texas. She is certified as an Advanced Nurse Executive and her awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

The USC College of Nursing supports two doctoral nursing programs: the PhD in Nursing science and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). In addition to the doctoral programs, the USC College of Nursing offers Master's, Post-Master's, and Undergraduate (Bachelor of Science) Programs in nursing. With over 1700 students enrolled, the USC flagship CON is nationally recognized for its' cutting edge and high quality education, research, and practice.

The Jonas Center, a leading philanthropic funder for the nursing profession, makes grants that advance scholarship, leadership and innovation and collaborates on initiatives with other leaders in the nursing field, with a focus on fostering partnerships across the philanthropic, business, policy and education sectors.