Creighton College of Nursing helps to fill Arizona’s critical nursing gap

In 2023, San Diego native Jenna Cunningham, BSN’24, was working in a fulfilling role as an EMT. While she loved caring for others, she saw an opportunity in a career as a nurse, which would allow her to help others while offering her new experiences.

When a Google search pointed her to Creighton’s accelerated BSN program in Phoenix, she was immediately intrigued. “I liked that I could complete the program in about a year and that Creighton had a great reputation,” she says. "I also knew Creighton was a Jesuit university, which made me feel confident that my education would be well-rounded."

Before she started classes in early 2024, Cunningham learned that she was the recipient of a full tuition Ignite Scholarship. Funded by the Arizona Department of Health Services, the scholarship—one of 80 that were offered over three cohorts—is designed to help fill the critical gap of nurses in Arizona. Scholarship recipients agree to spend at least four years working in the state after graduation.

For Mike Lacey, assistant director of operations on the Phoenix campus, the $5.9 million Ignite Scholars Program serves as a stamp of approval for Creighton’s exceptional work (it was one of just five grants awarded statewide) and as an opportunity to instill Creighton’s values of care and compassion into the world. He is proud to see Creighton playing a key role in supporting the healthcare of Arizonans.

For Cunningham, the program, scholarship and after-graduation commitment have felt like a perfect mix as she’s aimed higher in her career and life. “It’s sparked me to take charge of my life,” she says. “It’s setting me up for success.”