Thirty years ago, the average age of someone graduating from a nursing program in the U.S. was 21. Students could expect at least 40 years in the profession.
Today, the average age of nursing school graduates is the mid-30s, giving them less time before retirement. Dr. Anne Brett, president of Cox College, says the aging of the nursing workforce is one of the contributing factors of the current nursing shortage.
Cox College is teaming up with Drury University in Springfield to offer a new program that aims to reverse the trend. The two schools have announced the creation of a dual degree program designed to target high school graduates interested in a career in nursing.
“The goal of this new program is to try to bring the average age of the nurse graduate down,” says Brett. “It will allow Cox College and Drury to attract students together that they could never attract alone.”
Students in the dual degree program will be admitted into Drury University and take general education courses. They’ll then take nursing courses at Cox College. At the end of the four-year program, students will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Cox College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Drury University.
“This program will capture students who want a bachelor’s degree in nursing but also want the college experience,” says Dr. Brett. “They want to play sports, live in fraternities or sororities and have the social environment that Drury can offer as well as the quality educational experience that both schools can offer. It’s an exciting partnership.”
CoxHealth guarantees an initial employment interview to qualified graduates from the dual degree program for posted positions. Students are also eligible to apply for up to $10,000 of student loan forgiveness over the first two years of employment at Cox.
The dual degree program will be available for students beginning with the fall 2010 semester.
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