VNA Awards Scholarship To Future APRN

The Newtown Visiting Nurse Association recently presented its 2007 VNA-Anna E. Clow Scholarship to Lindsey Coyle, a student at Quinnipiac University.

The scholarship is given annually to encourage interest and growth in the nursing profession by offering financial assistance to a graduating high school senior who is a Newtown resident. The scholarship is given on the basis of interest in the nursing profession, scholarship ability, personality, and recommendation by the Guidance Department and the principal of the student’s high school. The scholarship is available to students entering the profession of nursing and studying for a registered nurse (RN) or bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree.

The scholarship is in the amount of $4,000 and it is awarded when the recipient has entered his or her clinical portion of the nursing program, which is at least the second year of the nursing education.

Lindsey Coyle is a junior nursing student at Quinnipiac. She is currently attending her clinical rotation at The Hospital for Special Care in New Britain. Over the next few semesters, however, she will be attending many different clinical sites and major hospitals.

Quinnipiac University is affiliated with Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Britain General Hospital, the Hospital of St Raphael, and Veterans Memorial Medical Center, as well as private practices, clinics, and other health care.

Since her freshman year Ms Coyle has been involved in Quinnipiac Student Nursing Society (QSNS), a nursing organization for Quinnipiac students that participates in various community service projects. Along with attending Quinnipiac, Ms Coyle is enrolled in Danbury Hospital’s Hot Jobs program, where she works 16 hours each week.

During the upcoming winter break Ms Coyle will be traveling to Australia for three weeks, where she will be taking a sociology course. The course is based on the culture of Australia, with a focus on its sports culture.

Last summer Ms Coyle took a graduate level course, pathophysiology, which provided her with a jumpstart (three graduate credits) to her ultimate goal of becoming a nurse practitioner (APRN). To become an APRN, Ms Coyle will need two additional years of graduate schooling.

“Overall, I am thoroughly enjoying the nursing program and the college life at Quinnipiac University,” she said. “I feel that when I graduate from Quinnipiac University I will walk away with a wonderful experience, knowledge, and confidence in the nursing profession.”