October 28, 2003

Contact:
Sara Brenner, HPD Mkting/Comm. (954) 262-1512
Jennifer Meriam,NSU Public Affairs (954) 262-5355
Rita Cohl, HPD Mkting/Comm. (954) 262-1595

NSU Health Professions Division Expands Nursing Program

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — The Health Professions Division at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has received approval from the Florida Board of Nursing for an entry-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to begin in June 2004.

“The university has developed the new program because the demand for nurses is increasing,” said Executive Vice-Chancellor and Provost for NSU’s Health Professions Division, Frederick Lippman, R.Ph., Ed.D. “The nursing shortage is an extremely serious and complex health care problem. While other states are seeing fewer hospital admissions, Florida is seeing a 3-5 percent growth in the number of hospital patients admitted yearly.”

On January 1, 2003, the College of Allied Health and Nursing opened their doors to its first nursing program, specifically for licensed registered nurses with an associate of arts, associate of science, or diploma in nursing degree. This R.N. to Bachelor of Science (B.S.N.) program was designed to prepare a nursing professional for a leadership role in the complex health care environment of today.

In contrast, the B.S.N entry-level program is designed for students who are seeking initial licensure as registered nurses. The curriculum will prepare students for a wide-range of professional nursing positions including, primary, secondary, and tertiary care settings. Nursing students will be able to finish the program in 27 months, after completing 30 credits of general education courses.

“In addition to the new Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program, the NSU New Program Committee has also approved a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree program, which is set to begin in August 2004,” said Diane Whitehead, R.N., M.S.N., Ed.D., chairman of the Department of Nursing. “The addition of these new programs will bring the total number of nursing programs to three.”

For more information about the new entry-level nursing program or the Master of Science in Nursing Program, contact (954) 262-1983, or visit the website at: www.nova.edu/bsn