Bedford Falls Foundation Commits $250,000 to Duke University School of Nursing
A gift by the Bedford Falls Foundation will support the clinical immersion experience component of Duke's new pre-licensure nursing program.
The Bedford Falls Foundation has committed $250,000 to support the Duke University School of Nursing Master of Nursing (MN) program clinical immersion experience.
“We are deeply honored by the support of the Bedford Falls Foundation,” said Michael Relf, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, Dean of the Duke University School of Nursing. “This generous contribution will greatly benefit our students, the patients they will care for in the future, and the wider communities they will serve.”
“At Bedford Falls Foundation, we believe that investing in nursing education is investing in the health of our communities,” said founder Bill Conway Jr. “With this gift we challenged Duke University’s School of Nursing to innovate in nursing education, and we are excited to learn how this clinical immersion experience strengthens its MN students with the essential skills and knowledge required to excel in the nursing profession.”
The MN program, which launched this fall with Duke’s first cohort of students, is a pre-licensure program designed to provide a pathway for people without an undergraduate degree in nursing to become registered nurses. With financing options that would not exist for many applying to a bachelor’s pre-licensure program, the MN program seeks to foster a diverse cohort that includes not only recent college graduates, but also parents, veterans, and future nurses from all walks of life; in the inaugural class, students range in age from 20-47, with 56% from North Carolina. As the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects a national shortage of 63,720 full-time RNs in 2030, the MN program aims to open up the field of nursing to help close this gap.[i]
The Bedford Falls Foundation gift will specifically support the MN clinical immersion experience; a key component of the program coordinated in partnership with Duke University Health System that embeds students in their desired clinical units. Students will have the opportunity to participate in multiple clinical practice environments, including acute care, critical care, primary care clinics, specialty areas, and community settings. Through this immersive preceptorship, in addition to building real-life clinical skills, students will also build resilience—a critical attribute for nurse retention—through reflective practice, mentorship, and support systems including peer groups.
“We have the opportunity to recruit the best and brightest individuals interested in nursing, who have diverse skills and insights from different fields,” Dr. Relf said. “We are inspired by the Bedford Falls Foundation’s dedication to ensuring that these new nursing graduates are best supported for success in their transition to practice.”
About Duke University School of Nursing
Duke University School of Nursing is a globally recognized leader in nursing education, research, and clinical practice. Established in 1931, the School is committed to advancing health equity and improving health outcomes through innovative education, clinical practice, and nursing science. The school offers a range of programs, including a Master of Nursing (MN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and PhD in Nursing, all designed to prepare the next generation of nursing leaders. With an inclusive community, state-of-the-art facilities, and a strong emphasis on interprofessional collaboration, the School is dedicated to shaping the future of nursing and healthcare.
About Bedford Falls Foundation
The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF, a donor advised fund advised by the foundation, were each established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. The shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and supporting educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage. In addition to nursing, the Foundation also supports health and human service initiatives in Washington, D.C. and Nashua, NH which provides pathway opportunities aimed at strengthening community well-being and access to care for our most vulnerable populations.
To learn more about Bedford Falls and the areas that it supports, please visit www.bedfordfallsfoundation.org.
[i] HRSA. Nurse Workforce Projections, 2020-2035. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020, https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/Nursin….