In April 1967, in response to an acute local and national need for nursing professionals, a bold new program of nursing scholarships was established for the LaGrange hospital, now known as WellStar West Georgia Medical Center. Under the program, scholarship funds were exchanged for commitments for desperately needed local nursing services.
The George E. Sims Nursing Scholarship is awarded each year to nursing students. The purpose of the scholarship, funded by the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation and managed through the LaGrange-Troup County Hospital Authority, is two-fold. First, it enables WellStar West Georgia Medical Center to maintain the highest quality of care by having well-educated, professional nurses on staff. Second, it is intended to assist individuals in attaining careers as registered nurses.
Awarding of the scholarships is based on the applicant’s scholastic record, character, leadership qualities, participation in student and community activities, and personal interviews. The scholarships include all costs associated with fulfilling the requirements of a nursing degree. In return, the recipients agree to work at West Georgia Medical Center for up to three years after they graduate, depending upon the duration of the scholarship.
The application process opens each year on January 1, and the deadline to submit an application is in February. The next application process will open January 1, 2020.
About eight RN-to-BSN Scholarships are available each year to all WellStar West Georgia Medical Center’s registered nurses who wish to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree online from LaGrange College. The scholarship is available through the generosity of the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation and a partnership between West Georgia Medical Center and LaGrange College. The scholarship funds LaGrange College online BSN tuition exclusively for WellStar West Georgia nurses who:
• hold an Associate Degree in Nursing.
• are currently employed in good standing at WellStar West Georgia.
• have recommendations from their direct supervisors.
On a part-time basis, the program takes four semesters (two years) to complete. The program also is offered full-time (two semesters).
The Fuller E. Callaway Foundation has made the scholarships available for the past four years along with a partnership with WellStar West Georgia and LaGrange College. The college launched an online RN-to-BSN program in fall 2016 and has offered a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program since 1995. Those who complete the RN-to-BSN program will ultimately repay the scholarship by working at WellStar West Georgia for a specified time to fulfill their award obligation, much like the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation’s George E. Sims scholarship that provides select students with free tuition, books and nursing uniforms when they enroll in an area nursing school.
The deadline for submitting an application to the RN-to-BSN program is 12 p.m. on Monday, March 18. You may access an application here.
For more information on nursing scholarships, contact:
Beth Adamson
Nursing Administration
WellStar West Georgia Medical Center
1514 Vernon Road
LaGrange, GA 30240
(706) 845-3101
beth.adamson@wellstar.org