The University of Southern Nevada and St. Rose Dominican Hospitals have created an Accelerated Bachelor's Degree in Nursing program that will allow applicants who've already earned a bachelor's degree to become an RN after 14 months of additional study.
The USN program combines online courses and on-site labs taught by USN faculty with clinical rotations at St. Rose facilities and other clinical sites in Southern Nevada.
"Our three hospitals are well-known for providing quality, compassionate healthcare for the community, and our nurses are one of the main reasons we are able to provide that high level of care," says Rod A. Davis, president/CEO of St. Rose Dominican Hospitals. "We are looking forward to working with the USN College of Nursing to provide this much needed educational resource to our community."
The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation has estimated that nearly 5,500 new nurses will be needed statewide by 2016. Over the next few years, it is anticipated that the nursing occupation will grow by 37%, with an average annual growth rate of 3%, offering employment possibilities in a state now mired with a 14.2% unemployment rate, the highest in the nation.
As the economy improves, it is expected that the demand for nurses will increase. Nurses who delayed retirement during the economic downturn will retire. Part-time nurses who went full-time because of an unemployed or underemployed spouse will resume their part time schedules, and patients will seek treatment for elective procedures they postponed to save out-of-pocket expenses. In addition, healthcare reform and an aging baby boomer generation will create increased demand for nurses for an already stressed national healthcare system that will be short one million nurses by 2020.
The program curriculum focuses on clinical areas including medical surgical, obstetrics, mental-community health, maternal-newborn, and pediatrics nursing.
St. Rose Dominican Hospitals is affiliated with Adrian Dominican Sisters and Catholic Healthcare West. With three hospitals—Rose de Lima, Siena, and San Martin—St. Rose Dominican is the only not-for-profit, religiously sponsored hospital system in Las Vegas.
John Commins is a content specialist and online news editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.