West Chester University and Delaware County Community College have signed an agreement that will enable qualified Delaware County Community College students, pursuing an Associate in Applied Science Nursing Degree (ASN), to concurrently enroll, on a provisional basis, into the Registered Nurse-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) degree program at WCU.

The new agreement helps students save time and money in their pursuit of the RN-BSN degree.

Typically, RN-BSN programs require that individuals graduate from an accredited pre-licensure nursing program and successfully obtain licensure as a registered nurse before enrollment in BSN coursework. With this new concurrent degree program, students who meet West Chester University RN-BSN admission requirements and are in good standing in Delaware County Community College’s nursing program can pursue both the associate and baccalaureate degrees in nursing simultaneously.

“At a time when skilled nurses are in demand, this concurrent degree program is of great benefit to our students and to the healthcare industry,” said Dr. L. Joy Gates Black, president of Delaware County Community College.

“West Chester University is committed to helping students continue their RN education by providing a seamless path to a BSN degree that will provide numerous opportunities to advance careers,” said Dr. Christopher Fiorentino, WCU’s president. “We take great pride that our university’s undergraduate nursing program is ranked No. 1 out of 1,922 RN programs throughout the U.S. and its territories by Mountain Measurement, Inc. We could not be more pleased with our students’ continued success.”

Although the accelerated timeline toward credential attainment may differ depending on the individual, participants may be able to complete the concurrent degree program in 24 to 30 months from entry into Delaware County Community College’s ASN program.

Participation in the program will be open to all of the college’s nursing students who meet eligibility requirements. However, the abbreviated timeline for completion of the BSN and the potential for substantial cost savings will also be an extremely attractive alternative for students who have previously completed a significant number of college credits, or a bachelor’s degree in another field, and are interested in transitioning to a career in nursing.

“The close collaboration between our two educational institutions has resulted in the development of a cost-effective, defined, academic pathway that moves beyond traditional RN-BSN articulation agreements,” said Dr. Faye Meloy, dean of Allied Health, Emergency Services & Nursing at Delaware County Community College. “It affords the college’s nursing students the opportunity to experience the added perspectives of baccalaureate coursework and the professional benefits of completion of the BSN within an abbreviated timeline.”

Questions about the new concurrent degree nursing program can be directed to Delaware County Community College’s Nursing Department at 610-359-5353 or to AHN@dccc.edu.

[uam_ad id=”80503″]

.

[uam_ad id=”80502″]