NU accepting applications for nursing completion program

Lewiston Porter Sentinel, June 24, 2006

The New York State Education Department has given its approval to Niagara University’s degree-completion program for registered nurses. Applications are now being accepted for the program, which begins this fall semester.

The program will provide nurses holding an associate’s degree and their RN the opportunity to complete their Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at Niagara. It is designed to link with local two-year nursing programs, and will be offered to cohort groups at times and locations that are convenient for working RNs.

“Niagara has a long history and excellent reputation for educating professional nurses,” Dr. Frances Crosby, chairperson of the department of nursing, said. “The university's responsiveness to the critical shortage of nurses across the nation is reflective of a commitment to its service mission.”

Dr. Bonnie Rose, executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs, added, “The program will also help NU to become more engaged in programming for non-traditional learners, the working adults and career-changers in our community who need new kinds of programs to help them complete their degrees."

While a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing requires 120 credits, 60 credits in the nursing major and 60 general education credits, 30 will be transferred from the associate degree program as nursing “validation” credits and 30, or ten courses, will be taken at Niagara. Of the 60 hours of general education requirements, a student will typically transfer 30 from the associate degree and take those remaining at Niagara. Transfer credits will follow university policy and be in agreement with criteria set by other programs of study in the College of Arts and Sciences.

While graduates can begin practice as an RN with an associate’s degree or hospital diploma, the Bachelor of Science in nursing is essential for nurses seeking to perform at the case-manager, supervisory or other higher levels of employment, according to leading nursing organizations. NU’s RN completion program will prepare the professional nurse with the essential competencies of leadership, critical thinking and problem solving, plus research skills.

It is anticipated that a nurse attending full-time could complete the program in 18 months. Part time attendance will also be an option. That will be facilitated by having a “cohort” of courses start in the fall and another in the spring semester.

For more information, contact Crosby at 286-9155 or fcrosby@niagara.edu.