By Michael Pedersen
In an effort to address the current shortage of nurses in Utah, Intermountain Health Care and Utah Valley State College have formed a partnership allowing 24 licensed practical nurses to receive their Associate of Science degree in Nursing.
The students will begin the program in January and graduate in August after passing the licensure exam to become registered nurses.
'We are delighted at the college''s willingness to make this program available and increase the number of students who can attain their RN licensure,' said Gail McGill, chief nurse executive for IHC''s Utah County region.
'This partnership will benefit our patients at the hospitals, the students who are interested in furthering their nursing education and the college,' she said.
Students and faculty in the nursing program at UVSC are likewise eager about the additional spots created.
'We are excited that the partnership with the IHC Urban South Region will allow us to admit more practical nurses to the associate degree program,' said Alene Harrison, health director of the UVSC department of nursing.
There have been more applicants than spots available over the past two years, Harrison said.
Licensed practical nurses who are admitted to UVSC and accepted into this program will receive tuition reimbursement based on their commitment to work at IHC facilities following completion of the program, said Anton Garrity, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokesman.
The BYU College of Nursing is also expanding the number of admitted students to its program by opening an extra 32 spots each year, Associate Dean of nursing Rae Jeanne Memmott said.
The reasons for the increase include the greater demand for nurses in the workforce and an increase in the number of qualified applicants to the BYU program, Memmott said.
'Other schools have lowered admission requirements. BYU was turning away qualified applicants while other universities were accepting those not as qualified,' Memmott said.