William Carey University announced February 22 that it will expand its nursing program to offer a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Baton Rouge General Medical Center beginning in Fall 2018.
“This is another example of Carey seeking to meet the educational needs of the area,” said WCU President Tommy King.
Baton Rouge General invited Carey to establish the onsite nursing program after the Baton Rouge School of Nursing accepted its final class of students under its current two-year diploma program, which will close in December 2019.
“This onsite pre-licensure BSN program, with the addition of our online RN to BSN and online MSN in nursing education, will greatly add to the educational availability for nurses in the Baton Rouge area,” said Dr. Janet Williams, associate vice president of health programs at William Carey University.
William Carey University at Baton Rouge Medical Center will offer an 18-month curriculum along with WCU’s current online RN to BSN bridge program. As the university expands, the offerings may include additional educational opportunities in health care.
The first cohort of students will be admitted in the fall of 2018. Students will be on campus for the summer 2018 term to complete required courses prior to beginning the program in August. The program will accept 40 students for both fall and spring terms.
“We are looking forward to serving the students of Louisiana by offering a quality educational program within a caring, Christian academic community,” said Dr. Karen Sicard, dean of the WCU School of Nursing. “We are currently on the brink of another nursing shortage and we are working closely with Baton Rouge General Medical Center to educate new baccalaureate-prepared nurses to enter the health care industry.”
BRG’s School of Nursing has educated many Louisianans during the past three decades, graduating nearly 1,000 of Louisiana’s nurses since 1984. According to BRG, the agreement with William Carey will help prepare nurses for health care’s changing needs, increase the number of nursing graduates each year, and bring more highly trained, professional nursing graduates into the Baton Rouge market.
“As healthcare changes, the way we educate nurses is also changing,” said BRG’s Chief Nursing Officer Monica Nijoka. “We see this affiliation as the best of both worlds, combining Baton Rouge General’s nursing experience in patient care with William Carey’s academic expertise.”
The program at Baton Rouge General is Carey’s third onsite BSN nursing program, with the other two located at the Hattiesburg campus and the Tradition campus in Biloxi.
For more information, please call (225) 726-8153 or email
nursing@wmcarey.edu.