CHARLESTON — Eastern Illinois University wants to add a campus-based bachelor of science of nursing program to its health and human services curriculum.
Eastern already offers an online program that allows registered nurses to work toward a bachelor's degree in nursing. The new program, once approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, would allow students to take all four years of the curriculum on Eastern’s campus. The university is accredited by the American Association of College of Nursing's commission for Collegiate Nursing Education.
“This program would allow EIU to further embrace its proactive role in addressing Illinois’ current nursing shortage,” Jay Gatrell, Eastern's vice president of academic affairs and provost, said in a statement. “Students have expressed an increased interest in attending EIU for all four years of a bachelor’s program in nursing. This program would allow EIU to accommodate those students and to expand our qualified regional workforce of skilled, employable nurses.”
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Eastern, citing the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, said Illinois employed more than 123,000 registered nurses in 2017. Despite competitive salaries and a favorable job market, Illinois faces a looming nursing shortage, primarily due to an aging workforce on the verge of retirement. Current estimates show that Illinois will face a shortage of more than 21,000 nurses by 2020.
The university said those shortages will mean new opportunities - especially in East Central Illinois - for qualified nurses. Local research conducted this summer showed more than 150 open nursing positions in the region. In addition, surveys of high school counselors and principals conducted by Eastern revealed that, on average, more than 110 students within 50 miles of the university would be interested in pursuing post-secondary education in nursing.
Gatrell said it’s likely the unmet demand across Eastern's traditional statewide service area is significant, a premise consistent with the number of inquiries the admissions office receives annually about the university’s pre-nursing program options.
As Eastern awaits state approval, the university will continue to secure other required authorizations to offer an accredited bachelor's in nursing degree. Campus leaders anticipate the inaugural class could be enrolled as early as 2020, depending on how quickly the university receives needed approval.
The online “RN to BSN" program serves registered nurses who have an associate degree or diploma in nursing and want to earn a bachelor’s. The proposed BSN program will target primarily traditional or transfer students who hope to become a nurse; they would be required to fulfill general education and credit requirements toward earning a bachelor’s.
Eastern said the proposed program is built on a "1+3 structure," meaning students would be admitted to Eastern for pre-nursing and then spend their first year taking general education and other prerequisite courses outside the major.
After completing the requirements and a selection process, a subgroup of the pre-nursing students would proceed to nursing courses and clinical experiences.
While it may be possible to complete some of the general education and prerequisites at a community college, the nursing courses and clinical experiences cannot be transferred to Eastern.
Prospective students are encouraged to explore their options with their counselors or advisers.
“There is understandable excitement around what (the proposed new program) means for EIU’s continuing growth, and what it means for the vitality of our state," said Özlem Ersin, dean of Eastern's College of Health and Human Services.
Ersin said Eastern sees the process as an opportunity to demonstrate to its credentialing partners and community that the university is able to meet rigorous standards. However, she said meeting baseline standards is only the starting point.
“We must do our part to keep health inequities on the national agenda. Equity is not about whether one lives in a rural or urban setting. It is about affordable and timely access to quality care and prevention," Ersin said. "Our goal is to serve as a model for nursing and health professions education that prepares well-rounded nurses who can work with a variety of populations, understand the importance of working as a team, and maintain a prevention mindset.”
