Three USF Nursing students receive Tampa Bay Organization of Nurse Executives (TBONE) scholarships

Three students from University of South Florida College of Nursing receive 2012 Tampa Bay Organization of Nurse Executives (TBONE) scholarships. The three recipients include Mary D. Curtis, RN, Dorothie Julian Durosier, and Mary Kutash, ARNP, MSNCNS.

The purpose of the TBONE scholarship is to ease nursing students’ financial burden in every academic level and help enhance their skills and expertise. The organization gave a total of six awards this year, and USF Nursing received three.

“Wonderful news,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, Senior Associate Vice President of USF Health and Dean of the College of Nursing. “Another congrats to all.”

Curtis, a nursing master’s student and Interim Stroke Coordinator for Mease Countryside Hospital, received a total of $600 from the scholarship. She said that the award will help her pay for parking fees and other expenses incurred during the clinical semesters.

“I am quite honored to receive this affirmation of my career goals from such a distinguished group of nurses in our community,” Curtis said.

Durosier, an undergraduate nursing student and In-Home Private Nurse, received $400. She is an Honors Scholar graduate and a member of Phi Theta Kappa. She plans to graduate in August 2013.

“After receiving this honor, I believe that the key to success is motivation, persistence, and discipline,” Durosier said. “This award will raise my value as a potential nurse when I apply for a job or graduate school. It will also allow me to start my research on breast cancer by financing my trip to Haiti.”

Kutash, a MS to PhD nursing student and Nurse Specialist for Nursing Research at Tampa General Hospital (TGH), received a $750 scholarship. The award will help her complete her education to contribute to the nursing science.

“I am very honored to have been chosen for this award,” Kutash said. “I feel that this organization has confidence in my ability to complete my education and to contribute to the  understanding of the relationship between the nursing workforce and patient outcomes.”

TBONE is a not-for-profit organization and affiliate member of the Florida Organization of Nurse Executives (FONE) where local nurse executives and leaders from hospitals, colleges, and other areas meet to exchange ideas, share solutions, and partner to improve patient outcomes, according to TBONE’s website.