“My mom is a nurse, and I know it’s important for RNs to have a
degree, but I didn’t want to go away to college, so this program was
perfect,” said Lauren Carter of Georgetown. “I want to get a bachelor’s
degree, and I should be able to do that in four years. And I love Sussex
County, so I’d like to stay and work here.”
For Gabrielle Primeaux, who says she’s wanted to be a nurse
“forever,” the intensive hands-on clinical education offered by Rollins
drew her to the program. She was also looking for an affordable way to
earn a degree and a nursing diploma, noting that many new high school
graduates are eligible for state Student Excellence Equals Degree (SEED)
tuition funding.
“We have small classes and we all study together and help each other
with the transition to college,” Primeaux said of the Associate in Arts
Program.
“And then, when we start clinicals at Beebe, we’ll get to know the
people there, and our instructors will be right there. I feel like when
we start our careers as new RNs, we’ll really have a big head start.”
David Satran, AAP director, said the partnership fosters that sense of community.
“The strength of our collaboration is that it supports a diverse
cohort of students who work together to achieve a shared goal of earning
their UD associate degree, RN certification and ultimately their BSN
[bachelor of science in nursing degree],” he said. “They are advised by
UD professional staff who closely coordinate with colleagues at
Rollins.”
The partnership will benefit not just the students but health care as
a whole in Delaware, said Emily Hauenstein, who is Unidel Katherine L.
Esterly Chair in Health Sciences and senior associate dean for nursing
and health care innovation at UD. The most recent workforce data
indicates that 33 percent of RNs in the state have bachelor’s degrees,
while the Institute of Medicine recommends that at least 80 percent of
nurses should have that education to improve patient outcomes, she said.
Hauenstein called the dual enrollment program “a wonderful
opportunity to partner with Beebe in our joint goal of expanding the
nursing workforce in Delaware with high quality and diverse nurses.”
The partnership, she said, “ensures a clear pathway for nurses
educated in the Beebe program to obtain a BSN, ensuring that more nurses
will take the step to obtaining their baccalaureate degree. The
partnership also ensures that more nurses will remain to practice right
here in Delaware.”
More about the Associate in Arts Program
The program, housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, offers a
campus in each of Delaware’s three counties, small class sizes,
specialized advisers, low tuition costs and a growing number of academic
and social options.
“We see more and more students and parents who realize the
cost-effective nature of the program and the advantages it offers,”
Satran said. “It’s a pathway that students can choose — a pathway to a
baccalaureate degree — as a way to begin their Blue Hen experience.”
And the partnership with the Rollins School of Nursing offers additional benefits to students, Satran said.
“Many students want to stay close to home,” he said. “We’re excited
to provide students with an opportunity to receive an RN, and later a
BSN, while in Sussex County.”
Article by Ann Manser; photos by Kathy F. Atkinson
