BOONE—The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina System has approved a new nursing degree at Appalachian State University.

Appalachian’s Department of Nursing will offer the four-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree program beginning during summer school in May.  Program development for the degree began in 2008 and culminated with its approval by the N.C. Board of Nursing and the UNC Board of Governors at its January meeting.

Eligible students will be able to apply for acceptance into the program in the next few weeks and up to 40 students are expected to be accepted into the initial class.

This program is in addition to Appalachian’s RN-to-BSN program which began in 2006. The RN-to-BSN program has been offered to students at four off-campus sites and has graduated approximately 65 students.  The existing RN-to-BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

The Department of Nursing will be housed in Appalachian’s new College of Health Sciences and Allied Professions, whose founding dean, Dr. Fred Whitt, began his duties at the beginning of January. “Appalachian has made a significant investment in the health sciences and is committed to improving the quality of health in our region and state.  I have no doubt the graduates of our program will make immediate and positive impacts in the communities they serve,” Whitt said.

“The United States is facing a major shortage of nurses while at the same time qualified nursing students are being turned away from baccalaureate programs due to long waiting lists, lack of nursing faculty and a scarcity of clinical resources,” said Dr. Wanda Stutts, chair of the Department of Nursing. “The addition of a baccalaureate nursing program in northwestern North Carolina will provide additional registered nurses to meet the health care needs of residents in Appalachian’s service area as well as other parts of the country.”

“The approval of this nursing degree is a tribute to the quality of our nursing program, excellence of the faculty and support of the administration,” Whitt said. “The positive reviews from the N.C. Board of Nursing and the UNC Board of Governors is a result of a collaborative effort among faculty, administrators, local healthcare providers, the Board of Trustees and alumni across our state.”

For more information about the nursing program, contact the Department of Nursing at 828- 262-8039 or visit www.nursing.appstate.edu.

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