Utica College Receives Approval for Accelerated Second-Degree Nursing Program

"Hybrid" Program Provides Innovative Solution to Shortage of Nurses

UTICA, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Utica College has just received word that its newly established accelerated second-degree nursing program has been approved by the New York State Department of Education.

Designed specifically for individuals who have a non-nursing bachelor's degree and are seeking a nursing career, the program is a "hybrid" of sorts that offers a new model of teaching and learning, both onsite and online. In four semesters, over the course of 16 months, students will work toward their baccalaureate degrees, taking theory courses online and performing clinical and lab skills, as well as proctored, secured testing, on location. The program offers in-depth courses that include audio, video and online quizzes to assess the students' progress.

Dr. Cathy Brownell, chair and associate professor of nursing at Utica College, said this program is one of the first of its kind in New York State.

The program will start Jan. 7 at UC's Syracuse educational site with a cohort of 24 students. The learning site, located in Liverpool, will include a skills center with hospital beds, exam tables, IV pumps, oxygen tanks, mannequins and virtually everything that would be in a typical hospital room. The site will also include three smaller instruction rooms, a computer area for proctored exams, and a student lounge.

Throughout the planning phase, the program has been very well received as there have been more than 1,600 inquiries.

Dr. Brownell said this program will increase the baccalaureate nursing work force and provide an excellent opportunity for students to expand their knowledge in the health care field. According to the United States Registered Nurse Workforce Report Card and Shortage Forecast published in the January 2012 issue of the American Journal of Medical Quality, a shortage of registered nurses is projected to affect the entire country over the next 20 years.

"Utica College is uniquely positioned to offer this program, as it uses the same model of online instruction as our RN to BS program, which offers registered nurses the opportunity to pursue their bachelor's degree," Brownell said.

In 2010, The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) granted accreditation to Utica College's baccalaureate nursing programs. The programs met all four accreditation standards, which address quality, institutional commitment and resources and program effectiveness.

"We focus on keeping the curriculum current and relevant," said Brownell. "This program, which mirrors UC's ground based curriculum, offers students the best education possible."

"Accelerated second-degree programs are the fastest growing pre-licensing nursing programs in the country and will provide prospective nursing students with an opportunity to begin a new, more rewarding career," Brownell said.

For more information, visit www.uticanursing.com or call 1-888-807-5758.

About Utica College – Utica College, founded in 1946, is a comprehensive private institution offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The College, located in upstate central New York, approximately 90 miles west of Albany and 50 miles east of Syracuse, currently enrolls over 3,700 students in 37 undergraduate majors, 27 minors, 22 master's and two doctoral degree programs.

Contact: Christine Leogrande, Director of Media Relations, (315) 223-2519 [email protected]; or Abby Hansen '13 PR Intern

SOURCE Utica College