CONCORD, N.C. – Cabarrus College of Health Sciences continues to expand its program offerings by introducing two new options for prospective nursing students. Beginning in fall 2023, the college will offer a four-year Bachelor of Science in nursing* (BSN) designed for students seeking a traditional, four-year nursing degree and an accelerated BSN*, designed for those who have earned a bachelor’s degree in any field and wish to pursue a career in nursing.
“The need for nurses in our local healthcare facilities and across the country is a critical challenge and it is anticipated that there will be a great need for nurses for many years to come,” said Cabarrus College President Cam Cruickshank, PhD. “These programs offer new pathways for students who wish to enter the nursing profession, make a difference in their communities and find a rewarding, prosperous career with unlimited opportunity.”
The new BSN programs increase the number of nursing degrees offered by Cabarrus College’s Louise Harkey School of Nursing to five. The college also offers a two-year Associate of Science in nursing, an RN-to-BSN degree for working nurses seeking a BSN and a Master of Science in nursing with leadership and clinical research tracks.
“As staffing shortages continue and healthcare systems shift to preferring, and in some cases requiring, that nurses be educated at the bachelor’s degree level, we believe these new programs fill a critical need,” said Cristine Eudy, RN, FNP, CNE, dean of nursing at Cabarrus College.
The college’s new four-year degree offers a direct path to a BSN for those just entering the nursing profession. “Many other colleges require students to apply separately to the nursing program after finishing their general education credits,” said Eudy. “Not here. We will be admitting students directly into the nursing program, so they’ll know as long as they satisfactorily complete their gen eds, they are guaranteed a seat in the nursing program.”
The college’s accelerated BSN offers a path into the nursing profession for college graduates with a bachelor’s degree who are looking for a new career. “Whether they have a degree in the arts, business, education or any other field, anyone with a bachelor’s degree can apply to our accelerated BSN program,” said Eudy. “Maybe they’re looking for greater fulfillment in their job. Maybe they’re looking for more stability or mobility or opportunity. Nursing offers all those things, and students in both of these new programs will get the same great, immersive, affordable nursing education that Cabarrus College has been providing for the past 80 years.
“The other difference is that we are a small college,” said Eudy. “We’re able to give our students very individualized instruction, and no one feels ‘lost in the crowd’ here. We’re also unique in that we are affiliated with Atrium Health and housed on one of their hospital campuses. Our students have access to technology and clinical opportunities here that they just won’t find at other colleges.”
Cabarrus College is now accepting applications for the fall 2023 four-year BSN and accelerated BSN. Prospective students may call the college at 704-403-1555 or visit nursing.cabarruscollege.edu/bsn or nursing.cabarruscollege.edu/absn for more information.
*Cabarrus College’s four-year BSN and accelerated BSN are new programs; approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the North Carolina Board of Nursing is pending.