Nurses with associate degrees can now complete their BSN at UM-Flint's School of Nursing while taking courses on community college campuses and remotely.
Obtaining a nursing degree just got more convenient and affordable in Michigan, where the University of Michigan-Flint has partnered with three community colleges to provide a Bachelor of Science in nursing.
Such alliances are the trend as healthcare educators and leaders search for creative ways to bolster the number of nursing students, and thus, the nursing pipeline. Indeed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that by 2029, demand for RNs would increase 7%, illustrating an employment change of 221,900 nurses.
UM-Flint’s partnership with Monroe County Community College, Lansing Community College, and Wayne County Community College is part of a $56 million initiative, approved by the state in 2022, which offers community colleges up to $2 million to aid their students in transferring to a BSN program.
The community colleges will offer cohesive opportunities for nurses with associate degrees to complete their BSN at UM-Flint's School of Nursing while taking courses on community college campuses as well as remotely.
"We are excited about this new partnership with the University of Michigan-Flint," said Steve Robinson, president of Lansing Community College. "This opportunity will make the transition for our students seamless as they continue their studies and complete their academic goals in nursing at LCC."
This is the latest in a long line of collaborations between the university and LCC, said Cynthia McCurren, dean of the UM-Flint School of Nursing.
"As we launch the new initiative, the nursing programs at LCC and UM-Flint will be building on an existing 17-year partnership, predicated on our commitment to our collaborative relationship," said McCurren.
"We are motivated by our shared vision to leverage the assets of both of our programs of nursing to ensure ADN/BSN graduates are ready to transform healthcare and promote a culture of health for all," she said.
Carol Davis is the Nursing Editor at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The collaboration is part of a $56 million initiative that offers community colleges up to $2 million to aid their students in transferring to a BSN program.
Healthcare educators and leaders nationwide continue to search for creative ways to bolster the number of nursing students.