Asbury University and the University of Kentucky College of Nursing announced a new dual enrollment agreement allowing students to obtain both a bachelor’s degree and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in under five years.
Previously, students had the option to complete a BSN at UK within 21 months after finishing their three-year Asbury bachelor’s degree. This new preferred admission program will offer an accelerated nursing track (ABSN) that can be completed in 16 months. The partnership between UK and Asbury is designated as the Dual Degree Nursing Program and became effective in the curricula for both universities on Jan. 1, 2024. This streamlined track is designed to meet the growing need for qualified nurses, both in Kentucky and nationwide.
Students enrolled in the accelerated program will complete a bachelor’s liberal arts degree in biology and then transfer to UK for their ABSN. As part of the agreement, UK will now have 16 seats reserved for incoming Asbury students each academic year. The program is accelerated through a combination of online and in-seat instruction in addition to clinical work. Unlike the traditional BSN, the accelerated program will not have a summer break. The efficiency that an ABSN offers will help the student begin a career and aid the effort within the state of Kentucky to address the nursing shortage.
“The dual enrollment agreement will help more students follow their passion, combining the best both universities have to offer, so that these students may serve their communities through the delivery of quality health care,” said UK College of Nursing Dean Rosalie Mainous, Ph.D. The goal is to give students a well-rounded liberal arts education that will meet all the BSN and ABSN prerequisites while sharpening various skills in communication, critical thinking and problem-solving. Students will get the benefits of a small faith-based community while still having the opportunity to pursue a nursing career. UK is ranked in the top 2% of BSN programs in the nation (U.S. News and World Report 2023), with an 8 to 1 student-faculty ratio and a 98% passing rate.
When asked how students will benefit from this partnership, the Department Chair for Science and Health at Asbury Dr. Vins Sutlive said, “If you’re looking for a smaller, faith-based Christian university like Asbury, then that’s a great place to get started. Our classes tend to be smaller, and you get more faculty attention.” Many people are drawn to the faith-based community that Asbury offers. The motivation for the Dual Degree program is fueled in part by the increasing need for nurses, but also by student demand. “We get the most inquiries about nursing,” he says. “This last year we’ve gotten over 1700 requests for information about nursing.” He attributes this increase in interest to both the number of employment opportunities post-graduation as well as the service-oriented community that Asbury fosters. Sutlive explains that this new partnership “gives us an even better opportunity to serve a larger number of students who want to get into those programs.”
According to Mainous, “We are so excited to partner with Asbury University to develop the next generation of nurses, ” as both universities anticipate the addition of this program and are excited to see how it will benefit students moving forward. The Dual Degree Agreement will be reviewed every five years and revised as needed by representatives from each institution in order to best serve students.