KIM STEPHENSON

Kim Stephenson earned her nursing degree in 1993, kicking off a long caregiving career that eventually led to her joining the Head & Neck Oncology team at the Duke Raleigh Hospital Cancer Center in 2019.

With a wealth of research linking more educated nurses to better patient outcomes, Stephenson knew that for her career to move forward at Duke, she would need to go back to school. In the fall of 2022, at the age of 60, Stephenson, a Clinical Nurse III, enrolled in the online bachelor’s degree in nursing program at the University of Mount Olive.

Stephenson, who has used the employee tuition assistance benefit to help cover the costs of getting her degree, said that it took time for her to adjust to online courses and regain the feel for doing schoolwork. But soon, courses on law and ethics in nursing and nursing leadership gave her new perspectives on the decisions and methods that guide her work.

“I love learning,” said Stephenson, who expects to earn her degree in May 2024. “My mindset is to keep learning new things every day. You’re never too old to learn.” 

By Stephen Schramm

2021-22 BY THE

Numbers

Employee Tuition Assistance Program

48

Higher education institutions Duke employees attended

173

Number of employees who took courses at UNC Wilmington, the most of any schools

131

Number of employees who took courses at Duke University, the second-most of any school

324 Duke University Hospital employees who used the benefit, the most of any Duke unit

887

Total number of Duke employees who used the benefit

2,840

Total number of courses taken $2.8 million Total amount reimbursed to all employees using the benefit

Source: Duke Human Resources