W&J announces new nursing degree program
Washington & Jefferson College will offer a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in partnership with Washington Health System.
The first cohort of nursing students will enroll in the program in fall 2024, but students can begin applying in July 2023.
“W&J has long been known for preparing students for success in the health professions,” said Dr. John C. Knapp, W&J president. “For nearly two-and-a-half centuries, our graduates have been respected as physicians, dentists, and professionals in many other health-related fields. Our BSN program will be built on this strong foundation as we develop nurses with exceptional competence, leadership potential, and commitment to the highest ethical standards.”
Dr. Jeffrey Frick, W&J’s vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college, said new programs always are discussed and the availability of a partnership with Washington Health System made the program attractive.
“We saw the opportunity to partner with Washington Health System to create a pathway to the BSN degree for students who want a strong foundation in the liberal arts and who want to be prepared to be leaders in the nursing profession,” Frick said. “The opportunity to partner with them means our students will have a really strong grounding in clinical nursing in those kinds of courses that they’re going to be providing for us.”
The partnership with Washington Health System is a key ingredient to the new program since the college and Washington Hospital are located just one mile apart. Washington Health System has 126 years of experience in nursing education through its own 16-month diploma program. The two institutions have had a close working relationship for decades.
“W&J students will benefit from our state-of-the-art clinical instruction and facilities,” said Brook Ward, Washington Health System president and CEO. “We are proud to partner with W&J for this BSN program. It will increase the number of nursing graduates locally, with hopes they stay in the area to ease the nursing labor shortage.”
There is a growing demand for highly qualified nurses in this region and across the nation. Based on projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country will need an additional 203,200 registered nurses (RNs) each year from now through 2031.
“That was certainly one of our motivations,” Frick said. “The nursing profession is struggling right now with filling all the positions. We see this as a real way to help meet the demand for health care professionals for the future.”
Frick said W&J anticipates making some additions to its faculty to accommodate the new program, such as a biology faculty member.
“We’re currently in the process of recruiting a chair and a director of the program,” Frick said. “At some point in the future we’ll probably add a second nursing educator to round out the program. We see this as a pathway into some of the other health professions at some point in the future. We think this provides us a foundation to build on.”