Tuesday, October 19, 2021
A new partnership between Norman Regional Health System and the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is training more nurses while also giving students hands-on experience.
The partnership will create a satellite location of the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing at Norman Regional’s two hospitals, Norman Regional Hospital and the Norman Regional HealthPlex. It will be called OU Nursing at Norman Regional Health System.
“The innovative partnership between Norman Regional Health System and Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing is an example of how we can positively impact the future of healthcare by providing new and additional opportunities to grow the nursing profession,” said Brittni McGill, Chief Nursing Officer for Norman Regional. “Our program will begin offering a traditional BSN program in August 2022. Our hope and desire is that this becomes a partnership model that can be replicated in other healthcare disciplines.”
Oklahoma and the nation are experiencing a severe nursing shortage. According to The American Nurses Association (ANA), more registered nurse jobs will be available through 2022 than any other profession in the United States. According to an article in the Nursing Times, The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 11 million additional nurses are needed to avoid a further shortage. Employment opportunities for nurses are projected to grow at a faster rate (15%) than all other occupations through 2026.
“Academic-practice partnerships are key to meeting the unprecedented demand for more nurses at all levels. OU College of Nursing looks forward to collaborating with Norman Regional Health System to prepare more nurses, lay the path for practicing nurses to advance their education, and leverage innovate strategies to address the nurse faculty shortage,” Julie Anne Hoff, Dean of the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing, said.
This new program is an innovative way to battle that shortage by educating new nurses and quickly preparing them for their role in a hospital setting, McGill said.
Students entering into this program will not only get clinical experience at the hospitals, they will also attend class in the Norman Regional Hospital Education Center. Norman Regional also has unique hands-on training such as its simulation lab featuring life-size mannequins.
Applications for all Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing programs are now open. Students interested in applying to the BSN program should visit here.
Applications are due no later than February 1, 2022 for the Traditional BSN program at Norman Regional Health System.