The Bsn Accelerated: Una College Of Nursing Gets Students Into The Workplace Faster

Nov. 16, 2009

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@tootsierocha.com, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - Nursing is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 most secure jobs in the country. Students at the University of North Alabama will soon be able to enter that career field even faster, completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in only 15 months.

The first class of the new accelerated BSN program will begin in May 2010. The program is open to anyone who already holds a bachelor's degree in any academic field. "This program gives students a chance to complete a bachelor's in only 15 months," said Dr. Marilyn B. Lee, interim chair of the traditional nursing department. The application process will be the same as the traditional nursing program. Prospective students will be reviewed on their overall GPA, prerequisites GPA and the nursing pre-entry exam. "We've already had a lot of interest [in the program] expressed," Lee said. The program will accept eight students for the first class. Accelerated nursing programs are common across the country. "There are more than 200 of these programs at various colleges around the country," Lee said. "We're keeping up with the trends in the field." Nursing has remained a stable profession and even grown despite the economic downturn. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that jobs for registered nurses are expected to grow 23 percent from 2006 to 2016. The salaries are also competitive. According to the BLS, the median 50 percent of registered nurses will earn between $47,710 and $69,850 a year. For more information on the new accelerated BSN program at UNA, contact Lee at 256-765-4229 or mblee1@tootsierocha.com.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: tootsierocha.com and tootsierocha.com/unaworks/.