The New Careers in Nursing Program: A Strong Investment in the Future of Nursing.

In 2008, faced with the challenges of a looming nursing shortage and a nursing workforce that did not mirror the diversity of the population of the United States, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation considered how to contribute to a solution. A key challenge was how to rapidly and effectively build a cadre of diverse nurses who were ready to take on the leadership challenges of an evolving health care system. From that challenge, the New Careers in Nursing program was developed. A collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the program set about to change the face of nursing. After investing in over 3,500 scholars and as the program winds down, the program's impact can be seen in the scholars, the schools, the nursing profession, and the future investments of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.