Louisville, KY – January 26, 2015 – In response to the landmark Institute of Medicine report recommending that 80 percent of U.S. nurses hold at least a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) by 2020, Galen College has launched a unique pathway to nursing that can make entry into the profession easier for thousands of nursing students. The new initiative will help expand the pool of candidates as hospitals seek to hire more BSN educated nurses, a trend which multiple studies have shown is associated with better patient outcomes, including decreased mortality, according to a paper in Health Affairs.
The Affordable Care Act has been projected to expand health insurance coverage to an estimated 30 to 34 million people. However, according to a report by The Heritage Foundation, “American healthcare infrastructure has had workforce shortages for decades…and families will face longer wait times, greater difficulty accessing providers, shortened time with providers, increased costs, and new frustrations with care delivery.” Recent workforce projections anticipate the need for an additional 300,000 to 1.2 million registered nurses by 2020.
Galen College of Nursing, a multi-campus and online educational institution based in Louisville, Ky., with campuses in Tampa Bay, Fla., San Antonio, Tex. and Cincinnati, Ohio, is offering the Dual-Track BSN, an innovative pathway to baccalaureate-level nursing. BSN-prepared nurses are often required by hospitals and healthcare institutions to receive special recognition. The Magnet Recognition Program is one such voluntary program that requires progress toward 80 percent of nurses earning their BSN.
Galen’s newest nursing pathway prepares students for RN licensure as they work toward their BSN. It provides a unique opportunity for students to advance their education as the demand for BSN-prepared nurses grows, while also keeping in mind that many of today’s students need more flexibility and diverse program options to make higher education possible.
“We’re in the midst of a tough economy, but the need for nurses is greater than ever,” said Rob Wolf, president at Galen College of Nursing, Tampa Bay. “We’re anticipating a nursing shortage nationwide as the Baby Boomer population ages and as more patients are treated under the Affordable Care Act. The Dual-Track BSN adds the needed flexibility for our students to earn a nurse’s salary while attending school.”
Wolf, who joined the executive team in 2013 as president for the Tampa Bay campus, says he chose Galen due to its high caliber of nursing education. Wolf brings a veteran perspective from previous positions as the senior vice president of Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, as well as vice president for business affairs and campus president for two of their five campuses. Prior to his experience at HCC, he had extensive executive leadership experience at a community college in New York as its vice president for administration.
In the Dual-Track BSN, students earn their RN license upon completion of their Associate Degree in Nursing, integrating real-life clinical experiences into their BSN coursework. If they choose to stop, they have no financial obligation or commitment but can return to BSN coursework at a time that best suits their needs.
About Galen College of Nursing:
Galen College of Nursing is one of the largest private nursing colleges in the United States. With a focus solely on nursing education, Galen College of Nursing offers practical/vocational nursing (PN/VN), associate and online baccalaureate degree nursing programs to over 3,000 students on its campuses in Louisville, Ky., San Antonio, Tex., Tampa Bay, Fla., Cincinnati, Ohio, along with an online campus. Galen is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate degrees.
