Cheryl Nickolaou , DNPc, MSN, FNP-BC, Oakland University School of Nursing student is the recipient of a $20,000 Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program award from the Jonas Center for Nursing to continue her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at Oakland.

The Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program is intended to increase the number of doctorally-prepared nurses teaching in nursing schools nationwide. Over 79,000 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing programs in 2014 due to limited faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, and budget restraints according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Award programs like the Jonas Center allow nurses to continue their graduate level education to help fill faculty gaps.

Nickolaou’s interests in the DNP program are in researching pediatric and adolescent health with regards to respiratory disease and adherence to treatment. After beginning her career as an educator in the LA inner city public school system, she noticed the influence of education on health maintenance, which led her to become a family nurse practitioner and pursue her DNP.

Thrilled to be a recipient of the Jonas Scholar Award, Nickolaou tells Oakland.edu: “As a DNP student, I intend to enhance the quality of life in the patients with whom I interact, but also teach them how to maintain optimal health and nutrition.” Nickolaou is one of more than 1,000 Jonas Nurse Leader Scholars at 140 schools across all 50 states.

To learn more about Nickolaou’s nursing background and her Jonas Center Award, visit here.

Christina Morgan
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