Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center Nurses Celebrate Nurses Week with $80K Milestone for “Grow A Nurse” Scholarships

Annapolis, Md. — Nurses at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC) have raised more than $80,000 over the past 16 years to support their colleagues through the Grow A Nurse Scholarship Program. Each year during Nurses Week, staff members collect donations and sell nurse-designed t-shirts to fund scholarships that help nurses continue their education and advance their careers.

Carol Finkinger started the scholarship program in 2010 after seeing a similar initiative at a nursing conference. “During my 40-year nursing career, I’ve always admired the generosity of nurses. I’ve seen countless instances where staff on my unit came together to support a colleague or patient in need. Because of that, it was important to me that this scholarship be funded by nurses. It reflects our shared commitment to taking care of one another and investing in our own profession. I knew if anyone could make it happen, it would be our nurses,” said Finkinger.

It wasn’t easy at first. In its first year, nurses set a goal of $5,000 but raised about $1,300 through donations alone. As awareness grew around the hospital, the program gained momentum. The first scholarship recipient, grateful for the opportunity, donated funds to support the following year’s award. That helped to inspire the name “Grow A Nurse.”

Fundraising efforts have since expanded to include raffles and other fundraising efforts, with t-shirt sales launching in 2018.  Three years ago, the team introduced a nurse-led design contest, allowing staff to create the t-shirt artwork. The initiative has resonated strongly with the nursing staff and boosted engagement.

“As we celebrate Nurses Week and honor Florence Nightingale, there’s no better legacy than nurses supporting one another through education,” said Christine Frost, chief nursing officer at LHAAMC. “For more than 120 years, our community has trusted us for their care, and our nurses are at the heart of that legacy.”

Any LHAAMC nurse enrolled in a nursing program, as well as patient care technicians entering a nursing program, may apply. A committee of 15 nurses reviews applications and selects the recipients. Typically, one nurse receives a $5,000 scholarship each year. Last year, the nurses sold approximately 1,000 t-shirts to fund a record-breaking three scholarships this year.

“The Grow A Nurse Scholarship not only provided financial support, but also reaffirmed that my community believes in my potential as a nurse. It inspires me to give back every day through the high-quality care my colleagues and I provide,” said Katie Allen, a LHAAMC nurse and last year’s scholarship recipient.

LHAAMC nurses and scholarship recipients will be recognized during the hospital’s annual Nurses Week Dinner. T-shirts will be available for purchase at the event and throughout the week outside the cafeteria. This year’s winning design, created by Patient Care Technician Carol Preller and titled “The Power of Nurses”, features a group of nurses in capes set against the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, an iconic landmark near Annapolis.

Proceeds from this year’s t-shirt sales will fund next year’s scholarship, continuing a tradition of nurses investing in the future of their profession.