Nursing students at Aiken Technical College will have a new option to advance their education beginning in spring 2023.
The program comes through a partnership with Arizona-based Grand Canyon University. It creates a new pathway for students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
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“One of the things that we know is our mission is to fulfill the workforce needs for our region, and one of the highest demand fields is nursing,” said Aiken Tech President Forest Mahan. “We’ve always worked to create pathways for students who may start as patient care technicians to go to the LPN (licensed practical nurse) level then go to the AND (associate degree in nursing) level.”
The partnership allows for concurrent enrollment between Aiken Tech and GCY. It will shorten the amount of time it takes to complete the bachelor’s degree.
Jason Tantrum, development manager for Grand Canyon University, said they have about 24,000 students at their physical campus in Phoenix.
“But we have a significant online program, which is where we can help your students,” he said. “Your students will be able to complete some of their coursework online, as they’re finishing their AND (Associate Degree in Nursing) with you. This will be at a significant discount, which will allow them to hopefully save money. One of the biggest problems in education right now, especially with higher education, as you move through is the cost of going back to school.”
Dr. Hannah Williams, dean of the School of Nursing at Aiken Tech, said this dual enrollment program will mean students can finish their bachelor’s degree in nursing in less than a year.
“How this will help our students succeed, how this will benefit our students is that it will allow a fast track towards attaining your goals of becoming a nurse anesthetist, a nurse practitioner, obtaining your bachelor’s, your master’s, your doctorate, becoming a nurse educator,” she said. “Also, when we look at our future employers, our future employers benefit from this because it will also allow for additional nurses to fulfill management, supervisory, community health, public health positions that are out there that are in need of fulfillment.”
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The American Association of Colleges of Nursing projects the current nursing shortage to intensify as Baby Boomers age and the growing need for health care.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2019-2029:
“Registered Nursing (RN) is listed among the top occupations in terms of job growth through 2029. The RN workforce is expected to grow from 3 million in 2019 to 3.3 million in 2029, an increase of 221,900 or 7%. The Bureau also projects 175,900 openings for RNs each year through 2029 when nurse retirements and workforce exits are factored into the number of nurses needed in the U.S.”
This partnership comes at a time when Aiken Tech is taking steps to grow its pathways and ability to train more students in all facets of nursing.
The school received $11.5 million from the $525 million Savannah River Site settlement money. It stems from the Department of Energy’s failed mixed oxide fuel fabrication that was to be built at Savannah River Site, along with the weapons grade plutonium that was brought to the state to be converted into fuel pellets for reactor fuel assemblies.
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That will be added to the $3 million the school received several years ago. Those funds are seed money, the first step in Aiken Tech’s plans to build a new 30,000 square foot Nursing Education Center.
Aiken Tech is also preparing to welcome Aiken Public Schools new Career and Technology Center to its campus. The center will be funded in part by $30 million the school district is getting from the settlement.
The additional classroom and lab space created by the two new buildings will allow both schools to expand the number of nursing programs to their curriculum.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
