Jacksonville University announced a program in partnership with Baptist Health that offers students a bachelor’s in nursing in 12 months.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened the demand for talented, qualified nurses to care for Florida’s growing and aging population, especially with tens of thousands of experienced nurses approaching retirement in the next 10 years in our state,” said JU President Tim Cost in a news release Feb. 16.
“We want to close that gap, and it’s fitting that we will tackle this challenge with our longtime partners at Baptist Health, who first joined us in 1981 to develop and launch Jacksonville University’s school of nursing.”
The Keigwin School of Nursing will teach the JU and Baptist Health 12 Month Second Degree BSN Program with skills training from Baptist Health clinical nurses. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in any field are eligible.
“Partnerships like this one continue to drive our strategy for educating the next generation of students, and it wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our faculty, including Dr. Lindsay Wolf and Professor Amber Santos of the Keigwin School of Nursing,” said Christine Sapienza, JU provost and senior vice president of academic affairs.
“We are honored to partner with Jacksonville University to grow tomorrow’s nurses for our community, prepared with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in their dynamic profession,” said Brett McClung, president and CEO of Baptist Health.
Students can access Baptist Health facilities as they earn clinical hours and the program pairs students with Baptist Health nurses as mentors.
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools of nursing have spearheaded infection prevention and education initiatives to combat the spread of the virus,” said Tammy Daniel, senior vice president and chief nursing officer of Baptist Health.
Applications for the program are open for the first cohort, which is expected to begin in the fall semester. Visit ju.edu/nursing/undergraduate/accelerated-12-month-bsn for more information.
Named the No. 2 nursing program in Florida by Nursing.org, Keigwin School of Nursing’s pass rates average more than 90%, and 90% of graduates secure jobs upon graduation, or are accepted into a graduate program, the news release said.
The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing, doctor of nursing practice program and post-graduate Advanced Practice Registered Nurse certificate programs at JU are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.