Sacred Heart University’s St. Vincent’s College will be closing at the end of the academic year. With the demand for more nurses, SHU has also decided to relaunch their associate degree program in nursing.
“What we saw was opportunities to keep some of the programs open but move them into colleges where they’d have more resources,” said Karen Daley, Dean of the Davis and Henry College of Nursing (DHCON).
The brewing science certificate program moved into the College of Arts and Sciences, Radiography, an associate degree, moved into the College of Health Professions, and the associate degree in nursing will be moving into DHCON.
“At the time, it seemed as if the hospitals were telling us they wanted bachelor-prepared nurses. What we found post-pandemic, was that the nursing shortage was so bad, everyone was saying we just need nurses, get us nurses,” said Daley.
Prof. Kim Foito said, “I just came from the National Student Nurse Association convention last week. They were talking about the shortage and whatever programs can do to help with that shortage, would be much appreciated. So Sacred Heart is doing their part.”
Source: Tracy Deer-Mirek, Sacred Heart University
Source: Instagram, @shucollegeofnursing
The St. Vincent’s College Nursing program has students are not the typical students attending a four-year undergraduate program, but have challenges such as a family or another job.
“It’s a little accelerated because what DHCON does in four years, they do in two. It’s by no means an easier, lower-level program,” said Daley.
Sacred Heart will offer the two-year associate degree which sets an individual up to become an RN, Registered Nurse, and then go back to get their BSN, Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This stepping stone helps a lot of the students.
“For some people, they may be able to get their employer to pay for that, so that might be a less expensive option for them,” Foito said.
Undergraduate students pursing their BSN, like sophomore Lauren Balak, understand the impact of this change as well.
“With me being a part of DHCON, I can say that the resources we have access to will no doubt benefit the students that do the two-year program because they will still be part of the Sacred Heart Nursing School,” she said.
There are currently three faculty teaching in the associate degree for St. Vincent’s who will transfer over to Sacred Heart.
“They’re just wonderful and amazing. They’re the people we want because they have done the same thing. They really understand the challenges and can really speak to how to help these students,” said Daley. “It’s my heart’s desire that no one goes by Sacred Heart and thinks I can’t ever go there.”
The options available now are the two-year associate degree, the four-year bachelor’s degree, and the 15-month second degree accelerated.
“With having three different options for students to become an RN, there becomes flexibility and diversity,” Balak said.
Daley expressed her excitement for these opportunities.
“We’re excited to get them in. We’re all reaching out to bring in and honor people’s diversity and give people opportunities here at Sacred Heart that they may not have gotten somewhere else,” said Daley.
