Local colleges and universities are responding to the unprecedented nursing shortages in our region, expanding programs and accelerating access to degrees.
Northeastern University—Charlotte is offering increased access to their Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program for local students with a minimum of 62 non-nursing college credits. The ABSN program makes it possible to earn a high-quality Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in just 16 months.
Northeastern University—Charlotte invested in a new campus in South End that opened in January 2023 with onsite simulation and skills lab spaces, expanded the ABSN program to 296 seats awarded by the North Carolina Board of Nursing, and added additional full- and part-time faculty.
“The innovative degree completion track of our ABSN program is an example of the academic and entrepreneurial mindset of Northeastern University,” Northeastern Dean and CEO Angela Hosking said. “It is a new way to open up the pipeline to prospective nursing students and help solve our regional and national shortages.”
Central Piedmont Community College will expand its nursing programs to accommodate more students and help meet the need for more registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in the Charlotte Region.
Central Piedmont will expand its Associate Degree in Nursing Program from 200 to 300 students beginning May 2024. In turn, Central Piedmont will more than double the size of its Practical Nursing Program from 24 to 64 students. The Dickson Practical Nursing Program will add a second start date, giving students the option of beginning the program in either January or August.
By expanding its nursing programs, Central Piedmont will offer two new options for students – an accelerated associate degree in nursing track and an LPN-to-associate-degree in nursing bridge program.
“Central Piedmont is excited to offer more opportunities for individuals to pursue careers in nursing,” Karen Summers, Central Piedmont dean of health sciences, said. “Nursing is a high-demand, high-need health career field, particularly in the Mecklenburg County region. We look forward to welcoming more students into our nursing programs.”
Central Piedmont is also working closely with longtime education partner UNC Charlotte to ensure students in the accelerated associate degree in nursing program have a smooth transition to the University’s RN-to-BSN, a fully online program that can be completed in as little as 12 months. The UNC Charlotte School of Nursing is partnering to create strategic touchpoints for the students to streamline admissions into the program.
Through partnerships with Central Piedmont and other community colleges across the region and state, UNC Charlotte is projecting a 20% increase in enrollment for its online RN-to-BSN program by fall 2024.
Through several initiatives, UNC Charlotte’s School of Nursing, the largest producer of baccalaureate-trained nurses in the Charlotte Region, is growing enrollment in its graduate and undergraduate programs to help meet the critical demand for nurses. With additional support from North Carolina’s General Assembly, the University increased year-over-year enrollment in its traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program last fall by 30%.
