UNA, Helen Keller Hospital Establish KIND Program to Benefit Nursing Students
Jul. 06, 2023
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – Officials with the University of North Alabama and Helen Keller Hospital have recently signed a learning agreement that establishes the Keller Initiative for Nursing Diversity, or KIND, Program. The agreement is designed to increase the number of BSN-credentialed nurses who choose to pursue employment with Helen Keller Hospital after graduation.
“Our nursing staff and leadership, led by our Chief Nursing Officer Sherry Sands, are the epitome of skilled, tenacious, and caring nursing practice,” said Kyle Buchanan, Helen Keller Hospital President and member of UNA’s Board of Trustees. “This investment in our future and partnership with President (Ken) Kitts, Dean (Tera) Kirkman, and the University of North Alabama team is an example of true alignment with community impact for years to come.”
As part of the KIND Program, Helen Keller Hospital will fully subsidize the tuition and fees for a minimum of two nursing students. In return, these students sign an agreement to work at the hospital after graduation. Efforts like this program assist Helen Keller Hospital and UNA to continue to reflect the diversity within the Shoals, the region, and within the State of Alabama.
“UNA’s partnership with Helen Keller Hospital has been long-standing,” said Dr. Kirkman, Dean of the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. “This collaboration will maximize opportunities to increase the number of nurses working at the bedside in the Shoals. Through this collaboration, we will continue to meet the critical needs of the healthcare industry.”
Students who apply and are accepted into the undergraduate nursing program receive information about how to apply for the KIND Program. Two students will be selected from each incoming cohort of Level I undergraduate nursing students. Questions can be emailed to this address.About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering credential, certificate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs in the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. The first-choice University for more than 10,000 on-campus and online students, UNA is on a bucolic campus in Florence, Alabama, part of the historic and vibrant Shoals region. Lions Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I’s ASUN Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/