Soto Nursing Scholars Program
A Scholarship Program for Doctor of Nursing Practice Students Who Think Globally
The Soto Nursing Scholars program offers a unique chance for students to experience an immersive education with a global focus. Across three years, participants will earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in any track and a Global Health Promotion Certificate, while taking part in four immersion trips. The program empowers students to work toward greater health equity and build lasting relationships with community partners.
Thanks to generous support from alumna Kathy Keough Soto, BSN’75, her family and the Donald and Marilyn Keough Foundation, program participants have extensive support. They’ll receive:
- Full tuition and fees for the DNP and Global Health Promotion Certificate
- Living expenses stipend
- All travel expenses for immersion trips
Soto Nursing Scholars begin the program in May each year. The first program cohort of five will begin in May 2026.
Program Details
The mission of the Soto Nursing Scholars program is to:
- Prepare compassionate, culturally aware nurses who are driven to advance health equity and stand up for social justice
- Build equitable, power-balanced partnerships with institutions around the world that foster mutual benefit and learning while advancing local priorities
- Facilitate sustainable health improvement efforts and outcomes through locally driven collaboration with communities who are marginalized
In the three-year, scholarship-funded program, students will earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree as well as a Global Health Promotion Certificate. The program is designed for students in any of the six BSN-to-DNP tracks. Participants in the program will be full-time students for all three years. Tracks include:
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Dual Degree)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Across the Lifespan Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Administration & Leadership
When paired with the immersion trips described below, this experience equips students to become agents of change and advocates for marginalized communities. Through their participation, students will examine and address racism and structural violence within healthcare systems, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Soto Nursing Scholars begin the program in May each year. The first program cohort of five will begin in May 2026.
All practicum hours required for degree will be completed in the States.
Immersions and Scholarly Project
At the heart of the Soto Nursing Scholars program is a set of four immersion trips, taken over the course of three years, plus a Scholarly Project. Students will complete a minimum of 3 credit hours in NUR 899, during which they will develop their DNP Scholarly Project. NUR 899 is taken as a co-requisite course in 1-hour increments with the global immersion experiences. This means students can develop their DNP projects within the global immersion setting.
Students, with guidance from their academic advisors, their professional experience within a specialty area, and input from stakeholders, will identify and select topics. Students will conduct their projects with the approval and guidance of their DNP Project Team and may complete the DNP Project alone or as a member of a collaborative team.
The program begins with an orientation in the Dominican Republic. Participants will spend about a week in the DR with peers in their cohort, plus members of the Arrupe Global Scholars & Partnerships program. The Arrupe program is a five-year MD and MPH program for medical students. Students in both programs attend the orientation together, offering a chance for interprofessional learning.
Students will work closely with faculty early in the program to determine their placement site, returning to the same location for three visits. Current immersion sites include Rwanda and Tijuana, with additional partnerships being developed.
The second immersion trip will take place in year two of the program. Students will return to the same immersion site. Students will travel with a Soto classmates and work with our international partners at the immersion site to identify a problem for development of the students' Scholarly Project. Students will engage in meaningful, respectful and reciprocal partnerships, working to decolonize global health while both contributing to their host community and gaining valuable insights in return.
The third immersion trip will take place in year two of the program. Students will return to the same immersion site, this time for around three weeks. This immersion won’t overlap with Arrupe scholars, but all students will travel with a Soto classmate.
The final immersion trip is in year three. Students will again travel with a Soto classmate to their immersion site. During this immersion, students will continue to engage in meaningful, respectful and reciprocal partnerships while implementing their Doctorate of Nursing Practice Scholarly project.
All travel expenses for the immersion trips are covered by the program.
“This program speaks to the heart of our mission. By working directly with patients and populations all over the world, Soto Nursing Scholars will gain experiences, skills and values they will carry with them for the rest of their careers.”
Jessica Clark, DNP, RN
Dean, College of Nursing
Contact Us
Nursing Admissions
nursing@creighton.edu
402.280.2703
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