A new partnership between Cal State San Bernardino and Humboldt State University will help Northern California nurses earn a bachelor or master of science degree in nursing by taking distance education coursework through CSUSB.
“We are pleased to make available our online nursing programs to the North Coast health care employers to meet that area’s demand for advancing their education and professional goals,” said Dwight Sweeney, chair of CSUSB’s nursing department.
Expected to begin in fall 2012, California North Coast nurses will have the opportunity to take distance education coursework through CSUSB, while also working at local clinics. Cal State San Bernardino will reserve five to eight slots in the distance program for North Coast students. The openings are above the program’s current demand but within capacity.
Humboldt State University announced last spring that it was discontinuing its nursing program because of high costs and difficulty attracting faculty. At the time, HSU officials pledged to work with health care providers to determine their needs, and to seek a partnership like the one now established with CSUSB.
Humboldt State will help facilitate outreach with its area health care providers, and will also offer prerequisite courses as needed. Local health care providers will be asked to participate by providing tuition and other educational support to their employees, in addition to the clinical placements.
The “bridge program” is designed primarily for working nurses and others who already hold a two-year nursing degree (R.N.). It allows them to upgrade their skills and become eligible for new job opportunities by completing the R.N.-to-B.S.N. degree.
In addition, the program offers those with a B.S.N. a master’s degree in nursing. This will represent a significant expansion of nursing education opportunities on the North Coast.
“We’re so pleased that CSUSB will be offering their R.N.-to-B.S.N. and R.N.-to-M.S.N. programs on the North Coast,” said John Y. Lee, dean of HSU’s College of Professional Studies. “This will truly serve the needs of our local health care and the larger community, and we’re committed to doing our part to make it a success.”
Visit the CSUSB nursing program website for more information, and also see the Humboldt State news release, “Partnership Offers New Nursing Ed Options.”
For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.
