SIUE School of Nursing Expands Community Partnerships
The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing continues to create community partnerships in response to the demand for baccalaureate-prepared nurses. SIUE School of Nursing (SON) Assistant Dean Roberta Harrison has announced two new partnerships with Greenville College and Clay County Hospital.
The agreement with Greenville College (GC) is a nursing program partnership to facilitate select students to complete an accelerated, three-year bachelor’s in biology from GC followed by an accelerated bachelor’s in nursing from SIUE. The SON will work closely with GC to identify interested candidates meeting the accelerated bachelor’s in nursing admission requirements.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the SIUE School of Nursing to partner with a neighboring college to offer a high quality nursing program to students experienced in an accelerated learning environment,” Harrison said. “While Greenville College does not have a nursing program, many of their students chose Greenville, because they seek a small college environment for undergrad, but many also have interest in nursing.”
GC students, who want to pursue nursing, can earn a bachelor’s in biology through their accelerated program in just three years, followed by 15 months to achieve an accelerated BS in nursing at SIUE. They can complete both degrees in just 4-1/2 years.
“These are highly motivated students seeking a nursing career,” Harrison said. “It’s a natural fit to partner with a neighboring college. SIUE has a high-quality program, access to all the great clinical sites and more than 50 years providing nursing education. It’s another way we can help increase the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses entering the workforce.”
Students taking advantage of this partnership will begin the accelerated bachelor’s program in fall 2017.
“We are excited about this opportunity,” said Dr. Edwin Estevez, GC provost and COO. “This partnership signifies the hard work by many within our great institutions. As we continue to expand our heritage and extend our reach, our commitment to providing excellent educational experiences and programs will better facilitate our students to influence the world.”
The SIUE SON also signed a corporate partnership agreement with Clay County Hospital in Flora for SIUE’s accelerated, online RN to BS program. This collaboration reaches out to RN’s in eastern Illinois who are primarily served by the Eastern Illinois Community Colleges - Olney, Wabash, Frontier and Lincoln Trail.
“Our goal in partnering with Clay County Hospital is to increase the number of bachelor’s prepared registered nurses in that area,” Harrison said. “We’re offering something new and beneficial to many nurses who received their initial nursing education in the Eastern Illinois Community College district.
“I am excited for our hospital to be partnering with the SIUE School of Nursing for their online RN to BS program,” said Amanda Basso, Clay County Hospital president and CEO. “As a nurse myself, I value education for our nurses, as it enhances their professional and critical thinking abilities. Patients benefit from nurses with strong knowledge and skills, and the patients are our number one priority. This partnership is a wonderful opportunity for our employees and our hospital.”
“Our feedback on the RN to BS program is extremely positive,” Harrison said. “Our students report that they like the faculty, classes and speed at which they complete their degree. They believe that the information and skills that they learn in class translate into their practice environment. Nurses want to take classes that are meaningful. They want coursework that applies to their daily work, and that’s what we’re providing.”
Photo: Dr. Roberta Harrison, assistant dean of the SIUE School of Nursing.
