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Wesleyan to add Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
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Macon, GA (August 2, 2011) – In response to statewide demand for qualified registered nurses, Wesleyan College is developing a pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing program with courses to begin Fall Semester 2013, pending full approval by the Georgia Board of Nursing and The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/Commission on Colleges.
“We are confident that this new direction for Wesleyan College will accomplish several strategic goals - expanding our academic programs to meet the desires of today’s students, preparing those students for rewarding careers, and attracting a greater number of high caliber students to the region,” said Wesleyan President Ruth Knox. “Most important, the development of a strong nursing program at Wesleyan will address Georgia’s nursing shortage by educating high-quality, patient-centered, critical-thinking nurses who can help transform health care throughout our community and state.”
Hallmarks of the program will include an emphasis on women’s health and holistic nursing. Admission standards and accompanying expectations for academic and clinical achievement will be demanding, and Wesleyan expects to begin with cohorts of 25 to 30 students. Qualified students would enter the nursing program as rising third-year undergraduates. Students entering Wesleyan this Fall semester as first-year students may be candidates for the first nursing cohort in 2013, if they take appropriate pre-nursing coursework and meet other requirements during their first two years at Wesleyan. Prospective students interested in more information about prerequisite courses should contact Dr. Wanda Schroeder (wschroeder@wesleyancollege.edu) or Dean Vivia Fowler (vfowler@wesleyancollege.edu).
“Our new Munroe Science Center is, of course, crucial to this new degree program, since we already have the laboratory and classroom space in Munroe that can be dedicated to this purpose. Clinical practice sites will include the Medical Center of Central Georgia as well as other acute and primary care health facilities in the region,” said Knox.
Georgia is experiencing a significant nursing shortage. While the supply of registered nurses across the state has remained fairly stable, the demand for health care services has been rising rapidly. In 2006, the Georgia Department of Labor projected that our state would need nearly 20,000 additional registered nurses by 2012, and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) estimates that the shortage of RNs could jump to 37,700 by 2020 if supply does not increase dramatically. Projections vary widely, but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates a national nursing workforce shortfall of more than 500,000 by 2025. With some estimates as high as 1 million by then, current nursing programs must increase the number of graduates by 90 percent and new nursing programs must be established.
In February of 2011, Wesleyan College’s Board of Trustees approved the decision to conduct a formal feasibility study to be submitted to the Georgia Board of Nursing, the first step in developing a pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Shortly thereafter, Wesleyan hired Dr. Jean Mistretta, former nursing administrator in The Board of Regents System of Georgia, to conduct this feasibility study and assist in developing program curriculum. Immediately, Wesleyan will hire a director of the nursing program for which the College invites qualified applicants (www.wesleyancollege.edu/employment).
Additional faculty will be hired in the coming year. Supporting faculty – biology, chemistry, psychology, and general education – are already in place. The College’s goal is to gain the Georgia Board of Nursing’s developmental approval in 2012, the second phase of initial approval during 2013, and, finally, full approval during 2015 when the first cohort of nursing students graduates. |
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