WGU’s College of Health Professions Launches Redesigned and Expanded BSN Program
Students will enjoy significant enhancements including six professional development certificates and increased transfer of earned credits as part of their undergraduate education.
SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The College of Health Professions at Western Governors University (WGU) today announced the launch of a redesigned Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree that includes six professional development certificates as part of the undergraduate degree, the ability to transfer increased amounts of academic credit from community college programs, and alignment with the new national nursing education standards.
“We have redesigned our BSN program to be more attractive to students who wish to transfer to the College of Health Professions, but also to align with the improved standards for nursing education in the United States that will be implemented over the next few years,” said Jan Jones-Schenk, Executive Dean and Senior Vice President of WGU’s College of Health Professions. “In addition to earning a degree that is more aligned to the future of nursing, each of our nursing students will graduate from WGU with six professional development certificates that will increase their nursing knowledge, but also make them potentially more attractive to future employers.”
More Credit Accepted from Community Colleges
The redesigned BSN program will now allow for up to 90 credit hours to be transferred from an accredited community college toward the 120 competency units for a BSN. This makes the program more affordable for students to earn their bachelor’s degree as they transition from an associate’s degree in nursing program.
A Total of Six Professional Development Certificates
As part of the new curriculum, each student graduating from the BSN program will earn professional development certificates in Genetics and Genomics, Palliative Care, Evidence-Based Practice, Protection of Human Subjects in Research, and Cultural Competence. Students will select their sixth certificate from among the areas of Quality and Safety, Wellness, or Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Nursing. These professional development certificates are provided as part of the redesigned curriculum and will be included in students’ tuition.
Alignment with Rigorous National Standards
The American Association of Colleges of Nurses (AACN) adopted new core competencies for professional nursing education in April 2021. The new standards will be required of all entry-level and advanced practice nursing curricula. A leader in competency-based education, the College of Health Professions has aligned its BSN program with the new standards well in advance of the projected deadline of 2024. Schools of nursing across the country that do not have a competency-based program will be required to adjust their curriculum to remain accredited.
About WGU’s College of Health Professions
The College of Health Professions at WGU is one of nation’s largest schools of nursing, currently educating more than 26,000 bachelor’s- and master’s-level nursing and healthcare students. In 2020-21, more than 17% of all Bachelor’s of Science, Nursing graduates in the United States were educated by WGU’s College of Health Professions.
About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves nearly 130,000 students nationwide and has more than 250,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency- based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 24 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at wgu.edu.
CONTACT: Michael Evans Western Governors University 385-428-9391 [email protected]
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