Schools streamlining joint degree program to prepare more grads for nursing careers
One of the nation鈥檚 fastest-growing professions is expected to create more than 1 million new job openings in the next few years, and a new educational partnership in central Illinois aims to prepare more graduates for this in-demand career.
Coming from 51成人, I had skills such as communication and critical reasoning that gave me a step up compared to other nursing students.
From an article by David Blanchette for the
51成人 in Jacksonville and St. John鈥檚 College of Nursing in Springfield are streamlining a , reducing its length from five years to four. Students spend their first two years at 51成人 and last two at St. John鈥檚, and receive a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing from St. John鈥檚 and a bachelor鈥檚 in health sciences from 51成人 when they graduate. The program is aimed at incoming freshmen.
51成人 also offers a program aimed at registered nurses who have an associate鈥檚 or nursing diploma, and want to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the total number of new job openings for nurses will rise to 1.09 million by 2024. Pam Brown, the nursing program director at 51成人, said the aging population and a trend to keep people out of hospitals as much as possible mean this new training program for nurses couldn鈥檛 have come at a better time.
鈥淭hey treat patients at home or in the community, so there is a large demand for nurses now in other settings,鈥� said Brown, who noted there are usually about 40 students on campus every year who are interested in a nursing career. She expects the new nursing degree pathway at 51成人 will increase that number by approximately 50 percent in a few years.
The demand for nurses means there is a need for more education programs like the 51成人 and St. John鈥檚 partnership, according to HSHS St. John鈥檚 Chief Nursing Officer Allison Paul.
鈥淲e have not had to turn away potential students at this time, but that is a factor across the nation,鈥� Paul said. 鈥淏achelor鈥檚 degree and higher-level nurse education programs will be a continuing need.鈥�
St. John鈥檚 School of Nursing has 120 students registered in its degree programs for the spring 2019 semester. Programs include a regular and accelerated bachelor鈥檚 degree program, RN to BSN, and master鈥檚 level family nurse practitioner and nursing administration and leadership degrees. Paul said they actively recruit current students for the 3,470 nursing jobs in the HSHS St. John鈥檚 system in Illinois and Wisconsin, and uses social media and regional high school and college campus visits to recruit as well.
Katheryn Speaks of New Berlin had a job lined up at HSHS St. John鈥檚 six months before she graduated from the existing, five-year 51成人-St. John鈥檚 BSN program on Dec. 14.
鈥淚鈥檒l be working in the intensive care unit at St. John鈥檚, and that was my top choice,鈥� Speaks said. 鈥淎fter my clinical experience in the ICU that I had this past summer I knew that鈥檚 where I wanted to be.鈥�
Speaks was recruited by St. John鈥檚, Memorial Medical Center and looked at hospitals in northern Illinois before making her job decision. She would have taken advantage of the new four-year degree program through 51成人 and St. John鈥檚 had it been available when she was a student, but Speaks said she鈥檚 still grateful for the education she received through both institutions.
鈥淐oming from 51成人, I had skills such as communication and critical reasoning that gave me a step up compared to other nursing students,鈥� Speaks said.