Campbell University plans to open a new School of Nursing in rural Harnett County in 2016. Graduates will earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Director Nancy Duffy says that's becoming the new standard for nursing jobs, especially with the population growing and Baby Boomers aging, dealing with more chronic illnesses.
“Really, healthcare needs an entirely different kind of nurse in the future. And I hope we're able to start changing that education to meet that healthcare need.”
The National Institute of Medicine has recommended that 80 percent of nurses have a BSN by 2020. Two thirds of nurses nationally are graduating with other certifications.
Duffy says students will receive hands-on training at rural clinical sites.
“If we can make these positive relationships, if the students have strong experiences and they're connecting what they're getting in clinical to what they're hearing in the classroom about rural and under-served, that hopefully that's what ties that knot for them and they go back to their homes and counties and practice there.”
Campbell University breaks ground today on a new health sciences campus, which will house the new School of Nursing.