West campus news Releases Archive
Year-round nursing becomes standard at ASU's West campus
Dec. 28, 2004
Using full calendar year increases number of available new nurses
Responding to health care organization and community demand, the professional nursing program at Arizona State University's West campus has moved to a year-round schedule beginning with the August 2005 class. The program, hosted in the College of Human Services, takes approximately 16 months, using the summer as a regular semester. "This decision was made based on community and student demand for more nurses, more quickly," said College of Nursing Associate Dean Mary Killeen. "The nursing shortage in Arizona is still at a critical point and we simply need to move nurses into the work force more rapidly. This not only benefits hospitals and health care organizations, but helps our students start earning professional salaries earlier."
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the nursing shortage is expected to grow to 29 percent by 2020 if nothing is done, threatening the quality of America's health care. And, a January 2005 article in Scientific American states that "the profession is heading toward its biggest crisis."
The traditional fall-spring nursing program option does not offer nursing courses in the summer and takes approximately 24 months to complete. Admissions for the year-round program at ASU's West campus will occur every August, with students graduating in December of the following year.
In addition to getting nurses into the work force faster through the year-round program, a greater number of nursing students are being admitted to the program at ASU's West campus. Admissions will be increased to 70 students for the August 2005 enrollment group from the current 60. Further incremental enrollment group increases are planned.
To help accommodate the expanded nursing program, nursing laboratory facilities at ASU's West campus are being expanded accordingly with a tripling of hospital bed and exam table stations. In addition, the expansion will provide a dedicated room for the nursing program's new SimMan™ system-a high-tech patient simulator used to provide realistic patient care scenarios.
ASU's professional nursing program is offered at four sites: West campus, Tempe campus, East campus and soon at Mayo campus (beginning fall 2005).
Requests for information about applications and admissions, program options and teaching opportunities may be directed to the ASU College of Nursing Student Services Office at (480) 965-2987.
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