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2014 CAREERS EDITION
Seattle Central to Offer Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
Accessible new pathway will train more nurses as demand for healthcare rises
T
o meet the growing need for more
and better-trained nurses in the
region, both now and in the future,
the State Board for Community and
Technical Colleges voted on Thursday to
approve Seattle Central College’s proposal
to add a new Bachelor of Science in
Nursing (BSN) program.
“This new degree will benefit our com-
munity in many ways,” said President Paul
Killpatrick, Ph.D. “People interested in
nursing will have access to an affordable
option to earn a four-year degree, helping
jected increase in the number of nurses,
spurred in part by the expansion of health-
care to more people by the Affordable Care
Act, along with the changing demographics
of the United States population.
Additionally, an increasing number of
hospitals and healthcare providers – includ-
ing the University of Washington Medical
Center and Seattle Children’s – now require
bachelor’s degrees as the minimum level of
education for all nurses. However, Nursing
Education in Washington State reports that
only 43 percent of Registered Nurses (RN)
Many current RNs will be able to complete their
BSN with just one to two years of additional
coursework
them enter a rewarding field. Residents will
have access to healthcare provided in part
by better-trained nurses. And healthcare
providers will have access to a better-
trained workforce.”
The BSN program will become a corner-
stone of a new Allied Health satellite cam-
pus – currently in the design phase – in the
iconic Pacific Tower on Beacon Hill, which
will house Seattle Central’s healthcare
training programs. The college will work
with the Nursing Care Quality Assurance
Commission to meet all requirements so
that instruction in the program can begin at
the same time the campus is slated to open
in fall of 2015. The program has been
designed to allow students from South
Seattle College and North Seattle College to
enroll as easily as Seattle Central students.
Extensive research by Seattle Central into
the healthcare labor market indicated a pro-
in Washington hold a bachelor’s degree.
This means the state will need to increase
the proportion of RNs with BSN degrees in
order to keep pace with current needs.
Seattle Central’s program will provide
current and aspiring nurses a new and more
accessible pathway to earn this important
credential. Many current RNs will be able
to complete their BSN with just one to two
years of additional coursework, and courses
will be offered evenings, weekends and
online to accommodate busy schedules. In
creating the BSN program, Seattle Central
will build on decades of experience from its
current Associate Degree in Nursing pro-
gram, which dates close to the founding of
the college nearly 50 years ago.
The BSN is Seattle Central’s third bache-
lor’s degree program, joining the Bachelor
of Applied Science in Applied Behavioral
Science, and the Bachelor of Applied
Science in Allied Health, which recently
admitted its inaugural class of students.
Two-year colleges like Seattle Central
have historically offered only certificates
and two-year degrees. Studies have con-
cluded that existing universities are not able
to provide enough graduates with bache-
lor’s degrees to meet the employment needs
of companies and organizations here in
Washington. As a result, the Washington
State Legislature voted several years ago to
allow community and technical colleges to
offer applied bachelor’s degrees to meet this
demand. Find out more at www.seattlecen-
tral.edu.
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Page 8 The Skanner News Careers Edition May 21, 2014