Provo College gains accreditation for nursing program
Nikita Timpson works in a computer lab at Provo College on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. The college's nursing program is now accredited. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald
Teaching dummies are placed in hospital beds at Provo College on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. The college's nursing program is now accredited. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald
Teaching dummies are placed in hospital beds at Provo College on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. The college's nursing program is now accredited. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald
Provo College’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program has been accredited.
The college announced earlier this month it had earned accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
“In the nursing community, that’s considered a very important thing to have because what it says is we meet the high standards of nursing,” Provo College President Todd Smith said.
The college replaced its associate-level nursing program for a bachelor’s degree program in 2015. After a year of the program, it was able to apply for accreditation.
There are currently 130 students in the program, with 250 estimated to be in it by this time next year. Now that it is accredited, it’s expected students will fill up classes weeks earlier than before.
About 30 students are added to the program every 15 weeks on a first-come, first-served basis, after students fulfill the requirements for the program. The program is a three-year hybrid program, combining online classes with time on campus, that will graduate its first students in a year.
The top source of inquiries at Provo College from prospective students is for the nursing program. With Utah County, and the nation, facing a nursing shortage as baby boomers age, nurses retire and the population of the county grows, Smith said the need to train more nurses is there.
“You can obviously see the demand for nursing has increased,” he said.
