Parkinson’s Foundation Launches First-Ever Parkinson’s Nurse Fellowship Program in the US
Applications now open for four nurse fellows to participate in yearlong training
NEW YORK & MIAMI (January 7, 2020) — The Parkinson’s Foundation announced the first-ever Parkinson’s Nurse Fellowship program in the United States. Applications are now open for nurses who are interested in pursuing a career in Parkinson’s disease (PD) care and research. The four nurses selected, two per host site, will complete the fellowship at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, OR and Struthers Parkinson’s Center in Minneapolis, MN. Both sites are Parkinson’s Foundation Centers of Excellence and were selected as the program host sites after a competitive review of proposals submitted from across the country.
“We recognize the crucial role that nurses play in caring for people with Parkinson’s disease,” said John L. Lehr, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Parkinson's Foundation. “From ensuring medications are administered on time to supporting the transitions of care, they are consistently on the front lines of the PD community. This fellowship provides them with a unique training opportunity to enter the Parkinson’s space equipped with knowledge and first-hand research experience.”
The potential award is up to $95,000 per nurse fellow for salary and benefits. The fellows selected for the program will work with a mentor to learn about Parkinson’s disease, train in the clinic and identify a research project. Each fellow will leave after one year of training with a $50,000 grant to execute the research project they designed during their fellowship.
“With this fellowship opportunity, we want to build a community of Parkinson’s nurse experts who not only know how to offer the best treatment possible for people with Parkinson’s, but also contribute to research on Parkinson’s and the roles nurses play,” said Eli Pollard, Vice President, Chief Training and Education Officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation.
The fellowship is open to nurses with five years or more clinical experience who are interested in becoming experts in Parkinson’s disease and have an RN or BSN degree. Applications are being accepted through February 20, 2020. Fellows will be notified of their acceptance by March 10, 2020. The OHSU and Struthers Parkinson’s Center host sites are part of the Parkinson’s Foundation Centers of Excellence network, two of 48 medical centers around the world, including 34 in the U.S. that provide specialty PD care.
Find more information on the Parkinson’s Foundation Nurse Fellowship program.
###
About the Parkinson’s Foundation
The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson’s community. Since 1957, the Parkinson’s Foundation has invested more than $400 million in Parkinson’s research and clinical care. Connect with us on Parkinson.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or call (800) 4PD-INFO (473-4636).
About Parkinson’s Disease
Affecting an estimated one million Americans and 10 million worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s and is the 14th-leading cause of death in the U.S. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson’s and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S. alone.