The Marshall University School of Nursing, housed in the College of Health Professions, will soon begin offering a new nursing program on the South Charleston campus. The venture is made possible through an award of $890,113 from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
The nearly $1 million award will allow the School of Nursing to establish a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science to Bachelor of Science in Nursing accelerated program on the South Charleston campus. The program will admit up to 16 students each class beginning in January 2023. The program will allow students who have already earned a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree during a 16-month, full-time program.
Dean of the College of Health Professions Dr. Michael Prewitt says the program will allow the School of Nursing to help fill a critical shortage of nurses in the region.
“We’re excited about this opportunity to expand our program while also helping create new opportunities for prospective nurses,” Prewitt said. “We appreciate the award from the Higher Education Policy Commission and look forward to helping the state of West Virginia develop another pipeline for students to become nurses.”
Marshall University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Avinandan “Avi” Mukherjee says the grant provides a unique opportunity for Marshall University and the School of Nursing.
“Marshall University is committed to addressing the critical workforce needs for West Virginia and the region through high-demand academic program offerings that meet and anticipate the demands of our economy and our citizens,” Mukherjee said. “We are grateful to the HEPC for this significant support as we move forward to expand our nursing program capacity to address the shortage of trained nurses. We are also preparing other critically needed professionals like cyber security experts, pilots and engineers. Marshall is focused on the future of work and the jobs of tomorrow.”
The project will also allow for admitting 5 additional undergraduate B.S.N. students to the existing 4-year pre-licensure B.S.N. program. Dr. Denise Landry, chair of the School of Nursing, says that in a time when much of the country is experiencing a shortage of nurses, this is a game changer for the School of Nursing and Marshall University.
“We recognize the vital role we have in developing more nurses for an industry that’s constantly looking for more,” Landry said. “We understand that this is a great opportunity to take our prestigious nursing program to a new batch of students looking to get into nursing as quickly as they can.”
Marshall’s School of Nursing achieved a 91.84% pass rate on the 2021 RN licensure exam. For more information on the program, visit www.marshall.edu/nursing or e-mail bsn-nursing@marshall.edu.