By Nadji Grizzle//In the upcoming Fall 2015 semester, Hood will welcome undergraduate nursing students for the first time in school history. In doing so, Hood College becomes the first school in the immediate area to offer a four year nursing program. The program was created and designed to complement the two year BSN completion program which began in 2011, designed for registered nurses who already have an associate degree.
Kelly Watson, assistant professor of nursing, explained.
“Hood College started a BSN Completion program about 4 years ago, answering a need from Frederick Memorial Hospital to increase the number of Bachelors prepared nurses. This program is designed for the working RN (registered nurse) to complete the degree on a part time basis in about 2 years.”
“Once the BSN program was advertised, students started to inquire about a 4 year program. Since there are no other 4 year programs in Maryland within our immediate area, Hood began the process for approval of a Pre-licensure 4 year program. The new 4 year program will begin in the fall of 2015.”
Watson teaches Dimensions of Professional Nursing, Trends in Health Care Delivery, and Health Assessment in the BSN Completion program, and had a big part in development of the new four year program. She says the general reaction to the program has been positive, and that many students have inquired about admittance.