Responding to the health care community's need for qualified nurses, Metro State is launching a new nursing program for those with a bachelor's degree who want to change careers. The Accelerated Nursing Program, a full-time 12-month program, will provide students who already have a bachelor's degree in any field with a bachelor of science degree in nursing and prepare them to sit for the registered nurse's exam. Classes for the first group of 32 students will begin Feb. 9.

"Our students will have a real opportunity to advance in the field and to have leadership opportunities," said Joel Edelman, founding director of the Accelerated Nursing Program. Edelman, who for 17 years was president and CEO of Rose Medical Center, has seen first-hand the critical role that nurses play and the crisis that nursing shortages can cause. Edelman said the Denver metro area produces about 800 nurses a year, while at the same time, each year experiences 1,600 vacancies.

The accelerated program will be housed within the college's nursing program, which currently offers a bachelor's degree program for registered nurses. "The accelerated program will enhance Metro's ability to meet the needs of students and to provide a reliable nursing workforce to serve the needs of our community," said Roberta Hill, chair of the nursing program.

Edelman believes that given its urban base and diverse student body, as well as its reputation for attracting nontraditional students, Metro's program is uniquely positioned to prepare students for nursing careers. "Urban hospitals are likely to be most vulnerable to the nursing shortage, and they need students of diverse backgrounds," Edelman noted. "Mature students who already have a bachelor's degree in another field and who have life experiences and maturity tend to be more successful," he added.

In addition to having a bachelor's degree, candidates must complete three prerequisites, with a 2.5 grade-point average: anatomy/physiology I and II and microbiology with lab work. Admittance into the program will be restricted to 32 students.

The program includes 10 five-week modules and can be completed in 12 months with seven-day breaks after the spring term, during Thanksgiving and the Christmas/New Year holidays. Students will be in class completing laboratory experiences or fulfilling clinical requirements 33-39 hours per week during each module. At least one 12-hour clinical shift will be required each week. Employment while completing the program will be strongly discouraged.

The program is the result of what Edelman calls a "unique collaboration" between Metro State and Exempla St. Joseph Hospital. Program offices and the classroom designated for the program are in the Auraria Administration Building. All laboratory classes will meet in the newly built Metro-Exempla Saint Joseph/Kaiser Permanente Clinical Instructional Laboratory in the Technology Building. Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital and Kaiser Permanente staff will lead the clinical experiences.

For additional information about the program, contact Cheryl Espinoza at espinozc@mscd.edu