SCHUYLKILL, Pa. — As the nation experiences a prolonged shortage of nurses, prospective college students will have a new opportunity to earn a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. The new degree at Penn State Schuylkill through the College of Nursing will begin enrolling for the pre-licensure program in fall 2020. The program extension was approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and Penn State leadership.
“Offering the BSN at Penn State Schuylkill will ensure Penn State is helping meet the nursing shortage across the entire commonwealth,” said Penn State Schuylkill Chancellor Patrick Jones. “We are happy that Penn State Schuylkill will have the opportunity to bring this greatly needed program to our region of the state.”
As part of President Eric Barron’s vision for "one university, geographically dispersed," the program will maintain the high-quality education, standards and policies in place at the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education-accredited University Park campus and other Penn State campuses (Altoona, Behrend, Fayette, Mont Alto and Scranton) offering the program. Penn State’s Nursing program is widely recognized as a responsive program that graduates registered nurses who are prepared to meet the demands of an ever-changing health care industry. Penn State BSN graduates are future nursing leaders positioned to impact practice, education and research.
“We are excited to offer the only four-year nursing degree in Schuylkill County. Our county and region are known for excellent health care, our future graduates will support the missions of these organizations to promote the health and wellness of the community,” said Marianne Adam, associate teaching professor and Penn State Schuylkill’s nursing program coordinator.
In addition to offering the only BSN program throughout the county, Penn State Schuylkill has a RN to BSN (registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing) program that enables students to effectively “level-up” their nursing credentials. The health care industry, while enduring the long-standing nurse shortage, has also required higher education levels of its nurses. In an effort to meet demands of industry and provide quality education, accessible throughout the state, Penn State Schuylkill, the College of Nursing, and the University will continue to identify opportunities to carry out these invaluable opportunities.
“Penn State Schuylkill has a long history of providing quality nursing education in our RN to BSN program, and the addition of the BSN degree will allow us to continue this tradition while meeting a significant need in Schuylkill County,” said Darcy Medica, director of academic affairs at Penn State Schuylkill. “We are grateful for the support of the College of Nursing and the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses in the implementation of the BSN at Schuylkill.”
After the BSN program, students will be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. The College of Nursing’s overall pass rate for this exam is 95% based on first-time test takers in 2018. Students from the program also will be positioned to enroll in a master’s level program.
For more information on the BSN program at Schuylkill, contact Marianne Adam, associate teaching professor and Schuylkill’s nursing program coordinator, at 570-385-6061 or mta133@psu.edu, or learn more about the Schuylkill campus nursing program at https://schuylkill.psu.edu/nursing.