Colleges to offer four-year nursing degree

Staff report

Paul McNulty, president of Grove City College, and Dr. Nicholas C. Neupauer, president of Butler County Community College, recently announced that the two colleges will partner to offer a four-year bachelor of science in nursing degree program.

BSN students will live on the GCC campus and attend classes the first and fourth years of the program. The second- and third-year students will attend classes at both institutions with formal nursing classes and professional placement through BC3’s Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health. At the end of the third year, students will take state examinations and will work in the field as they complete their fourth year. GCC is planning to begin offering the BSN degree to incoming freshman in fall 2020.

Nursing is one of the most in-demand professions in the nation, with nurses needed most in home care, long-term care, outpatient and rehabilitation settings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the need for registered nurses is expected to increase by 19 percent by 2022, and vacancies will surpass 1.2 million by 2025.

The Charles Jr. and Betty Johnson School of Nursing, initially funded by a gift from Jayne Johnson Rathburn and the Rathburn Family Foundation in memory and honor of her parents, is being established at Grove City College for BSN students.

For information about Grove City College, visit www.gcc.edu/futurestudents. For information about Butler County Community College, visit www.bc3.edu.