Dr. Swanson and Ian Miller RN to NP Support Fund

Fund Purpose

The purpose of this fund is to provide financial support to student Nurse Practitioners in their final year of the Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner (MN-NP) program in the College of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan. The fund is intended to help offset out-of-pocket expenses associated with clinical placements, including travel, accommodation, childcare, and other related costs that can present significant barriers to students.

Fund Source

Established by Dr. Stella Swanson in loving memory of her late husband, Dr. Richard Swanson, and her late brother, Ian Miller, the Dr. Swanson and Ian Miller Family RN-to-NP Support Fund honours the skilled and compassionate palliative care nurses who provided extraordinary care to Ian during his final days. Ian was an innovative organic farmer whose bold, risk-taking spirit helped advance sustainable approaches to organic farming in Saskatchewan. This fund perpetuates Ian’s legacy by empowering RN-to-NP nursing students to bring empathy, expertise, and dedicated service to rural communities. This fund also honours and pays tribute to Dr. Swanson, who held the utmost respect for nurses as essential partners in care, celebrating his enduring impact as a compassionate family physician and collaborative teacher in the College of Medicine whose approach inspired generations of health professionals across disciplines.

Guidelines

Open to all students enrolled in their final year of the Nurse Practitioner program at the College of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan, this fund provides a one-time grant to help off-set financial expenses related to clinical placements. Eligible costs include travel, accommodation, childcare, and other necessary expenses that may pose significant barriers to students during their practicum experiences. This support aims to ensure that financial challenges do not hinder students' ability to complete their clinical education and advance their nursing careers.

Awards Available

Monies from this fund will be distributed to eligible students as non-repayable grants.
Eight (8) grants, each valued at $5,000, will be awarded each year for two years.
Grants will be awarded for each clinical course throughout the academic year

How to Apply

Email the completed NP Support Fund application form to nursing.awards@usask.ca.

Please ensure the following information is provided on the application:

Name, student year and program, contact information including NSID email address (i.e. abc123@mail.usask.ca).
Employment status (full-time, part-time, casual, not employed).
Current clinical placement and possible future clinical placements
Detailed budget (including other sources of funding for which student has applied for and/or received approval; incomplete applications will be returned to students for added details).
Description of future career plans.