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Loretta Ford Centennial Scholarship

Loretta Ford Centennial Scholarship

The application period for the Loretta Ford Centennial Scholarship is now closed. Join the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) in congratulating the recipients!

AANP is indebted to the great nurses who built and pioneered the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) role around the world, including Loretta C. Ford, EdD, RN, PNP, NP-C, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP.

Dr. Ford is an internationally renowned nursing leader who has transformed the nursing profession and made health care more accessible for all. Since she developed the first NP program in the United States alongside Dr. Henry Silver in 1965, she has remained both an inspiration and an innovative force within the nursing community. Dr. Ford’s courage to effect change, determination to improve the quality and delivery of patient care, perseverance in the face of opposition and dedication to the NP role continue to guide NPs nationwide.

AANP celebrated Dr. Ford’s 100th birthday on December 28, 2020, with the launch of the Loretta Ford Centennial Scholarship.

Designed to inspire the next generation of NPs, the Loretta Ford Centennial Scholarships will award funding to current registered nurses (RNs) who are determined to move into advanced practice. Each of the five $10,000 scholarships will support nurses who aspire to transition to the NP role and continue the legacy Dr. Ford began in 1965.

Five awardees will receive $10,000 each in scholarship funding. Applicants will be scored based upon their personal stories detailing their unique experiences — personal or professional — effecting change, overcoming challenges, working collaboratively to gain the confidence of colleagues and applying their lessons learned. Only completed applications will be accepted and reviewed.

All applicants will be notified once the scholarship recipients have been determined. If you are selected to receive a scholarship, you will be required to complete and sign a written acknowledgement form.

The application period for the Loretta Ford Centennial Scholarship is now closed. AANP is pleased to announce the recipients.

  • Ayomide Aruwajoye, RN, BSN, from St. Louis, Missouri.
  • Kari Bernhardt, BSN, RN, CEN, DNP-S, from Bismarck, North Dakota.
  • Shaina Ann Tupas Santonil, BSN, RN, from Seattle, Washington.
  • Alicia C. Williams, BSN, RN, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • Stephen Wurz, RN, BSN, from Great Falls, Montana.

About Dr. Loretta Ford

For more than half a century, Dr. Ford has been an active champion for the NP community in areas of practice, education and research. At the University of Colorado in 1965, Dr. Ford, in collaboration with Dr. Henry Silver, started the nation’s first NP program. This pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) program expanded the role of public health nurses to focus on illness prevention and health promotion, and it combined clinical care and research to teach nurses to factor in the social, psychological, environmental and economic situations of patients when developing care plans. She then became the founding dean of the University of Rochester School of Nursing in 1972 and continued to positively influence graduate-level nursing education, developing a model that melded practice, education and research.

Dr. Ford is an inaugural member of the Fellows of the AANP (FAANP), is the author of more than 100 publications and has served as a consultant and lecturer to multiple organizations and universities. She holds several honorary doctorate degrees and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Living Legend Award from the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) and the Gustav O. Lienhard Award from the National Academy of Medicine. She has also been inducted into both the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.

Dr. Ford continues to inspire and influence the advancement of the NP role. Her work has changed the landscape of health care in the U.S. forever. As a testament to her success, the number of graduate-trained NPs in the U.S. has now grown to more 290,000, and the APRN role is recognized in 70 countries. On behalf of the NP community, AANP is honored to wish Dr. Ford a very happy 100th birthday.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  • Not be a member of the AANP Board of Directors (BOD) or a relative of a current AANP BOD member.
  • Not be an AANP State Representative.
  • Not be an AANP staff member or a relative of an AANP staff member.
  • Be an RN, in good standing with their state Board of Nursing, with an active or unencumbered license.
  • Have at least two years’ experience working in a paid RN position.
  • Have at least one semester of their current program completed.
  • Have at least one semester of their current program remaining to be completed after spring 2021, with a planned graduation date in fall 2021 or later.
  • Successfully complete their program by earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

Eligible Disciplines

Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited DNP program. RNs currently enrolled in programs with an administrative focus — or programs to prepare clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), nurse anesthetists or other advance practice registered nurses (APRNs) — will not be eligible.

Applicants must have already earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree before applying. RNs who have only an Associate Degree in Nursing will not be eligible.

Supporting Documents

To apply, please provide these additional documents with your application:

  • Copy of Your DNP Program of Study.
  • Copy of Your Most Recent Official, Certified Transcript.
  • Three Current, Professional References on Letterhead.
  • Current CV or Résumé.