Purpose To provide scholarships to students who are pursuing a career in perioperative nursing and to registered nurses who are interested in and committed to perioperative nursing to continue their education by pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in nursing or a complementary field. Eligibility Nursing Student— At the time of application the applicant must be enrolled in an accredited program as a nursing major for the 2009-10 academic year (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010). Acceptance into a pre-nursing program only does not qualify; applicant must have completed program pre-requisites. The applicant must be in a program leading to initial licensure as an RN. The applicant must be pursuing a career in the field of perioperative/surgical nursing. This interest and/or experience must be clearly demonstrated in the personal statement. Application deadline date is June 15, 2009. Bachelors— At the time of application the applicant must be enrolled in an accredited bachelors degree program in nursing for the 2009-10 academic year (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010). The applicant must have a current license to practice as a registered nurse and must have a commitment to perioperative nursing. The applicant must have a current AORN membership by application deadline date (June 15, 2009) Masters— At the time of application the applicant must be enrolled in an accredited masters degree program in nursing or in an accredited masters degree program in another discipline for the 2009-10 academic year (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010). The applicant must have a current license to practice as a registered nurse and must have a commitment to perioperative nursing. The applicant must have a current AORN membership by application deadline date (June 15, 2009) Doctoral— At the time of application the candidate must be enrolled in a doctoral program in an accredited university for the 2009-10 academic year (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010). The applicant must have a current license to practice as a registered nurse and must have a commitment to perioperative nursing. The applicant must have a current AORN membership by application deadline date (June 15, 2009) Awards The number of awards and amount of the awards will be determined annually. Awards are not renewable. The scholarships will be applied to educational expenses including tuition, fees and books. Winners will be required to submit grades and invoices for these allowable expenses corresponding to each semester no later than August 1, 2010. Winner Selection A Selection Committee appointed by AORN President-elect will evaluate the applications and select the winners by a blind review process. The use of this committee is designed to ensure the impartiality and confidentiality of the selection process. In evaluating the applicants, the committee will consider the applicants’ academics/transcripts and personal statement. Initial Application Process Go to https://www.applyists.net/ and click the “Apply or Update a New Application” link. To get started, request an Applicant Identification Number (AIN) – click Option 1. Fill in all information marked with an asterisk (*). Click on “Request Application Identification Number” link. You will be directed to a page with your AIN. Print this page for your records. Once you’re printed the page, click on your AIN – you will be directed to Login Option #2. Your AIN and name will automatically be populated. Your Access Key is “AORN”. Click on the “Start Application Process” link. Complete the requested information. Application deadline date is June 15, 2009.