May 13,
2008
Oakton Offers Dual Nursing Program Opportunities
Starting July 1, students enrolled in the associate degree in nursing program at Oakton Community College may seek dual enrollment with Roosevelt University, West Suburban College of Nursing, North Park College, and Olivet Nazarene University, College officials announced. The combined degree program, called Pathways to Excellence, allows Oakton nursing students to seamlessly transfer into a bachelor's degree program at one of the four partner institutions.
"Finding solutions to the growing workforce shortage in nursing lies with the institutions that train future health care providers," says Sandra Kubala, chair of Oakton's nursing program. "These partnerships allow students to earn their BSN degree in a shorter, nine- to 18-month time frame, and save money in the process."
The Pathways to Excellence program offers affordability, says Kubala, because students can earn credits toward a BSN at Oakton, where tuition per credit hour is $84 - compared to the partner institutions, where tuition ranges from $521 to $782 per credit hour. Students have a greater incentive to succeed knowing they already are accepted into a BSN program, she adds.
Scholarship funds also may be available to eligible students, said Carlee Drummer, executive director of the Oakton Educational Foundation. "We offer several scholarships that support nursing students and there are other ways to tap into financial aid," she said.
The shortage of registered nurses in the U.S. is predicted to reach 340,000 by 2020, according to some industry experts, with federal government estimates ranging even higher. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports that in the 2006-07 academic year, U.S. nursing schools turned away nearly 43,000 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs due to insufficient funding, faculty, clinical sites and classrooms.
Oakton's associate degree in nursing (ADN) program enrolls 244 students annually, and 97 percent of graduates successfully pass the NCLEX exam to become registered nurses. Kubala said one primary goal of Pathways to Excellence is to increase BSN enrollment by Oakton ADN students from 12 to 40 percent within three years.
For more information about dual enrollment in the associate degree in nursing program at Oakton, contact the Division of Science and Health Careers at 847-635-1684.
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