Shenandoah University is teaming up with Inova Health System to put more nurses into the health-care system.
The university’s Leesburg campus will triple the number of students in its second-degree Bachelor of Science in nursing program, accommodating 90 students by 2010.
The classes will be offered in a new facility adjacent to Inova Loudoun Hospital.
The additional students in the accelerated 15-month program will provide a few new recruits in an industry desperate for them.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the health-care industry will need 600,000 new nurses by 2016 — among the largest number for any occupation.
In 2009, SU will double the program’s current enrollment, from 30 students to 60, and then add 30 the following year. It will also reduce tuition by 15 percent for second-degree BSN students awarded Inova scholarships.
Inova will provide as many as 25 qualified students a $7,500 scholarship in return for a two-year employment commitment at one of its hospitals.
Also as part of the deal, the company will provide $500,000 to help fund the new classrooms, simulation laboratories, and administrative spaces at the SU facility.
For training purposes, it will also increase the rotation slots at three of its hospitals in Northern Virginia to accommodate the students.
Two of those hospitals, Inova Fairfax and Inova Loudoun, have been awarded Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The honor signifies that the hospital fosters the professional growth of nurses.
“What this means is individuals with a bachelor’s degree in any other academic discipline can receive the professional credentials necessary to begin professional practice in nursing,” Kathryn Ganske, director of SU’s Division of Nursing, said in a press statement.
“So students can receive a $7,500 scholarship, gain access to clinical training at an Inova institution and earn the credentials for eligibility to take the national licensing exam after graduation.”
Such opportunities are essential for students, said Tracy Fitzsimmons, president of SU.
“I think that for universities, partnerships with local community organizations are essential to provide the highest level of education for our students,” she said. “Part of that is providing real-world experience, and in the health-care world that means clinical rotations.”
Randy Kelley, the chief executive officer of Inova Loudoun Hospital, said he hoped the nurses would not only train at his facility, but also become future employees in Loudoun County.
SU’s Winchester campus offers a bachelor’s track for nursing, as well as a Master of Science with specialty tracks in health systems management, family nurse practitioner, nurse midwifery, and psychiatric mental-health nurse practitioner. source
How to Become a Nurse |
