Christopher Newport University and Riverside College of Health Sciences announced a new partnership Wednesday that allows students to earn dual bachelor degrees and address the nationwide nurse shortage.
The partnership, referred to as a “3+2” program, will have students spend three years taking classes at the CNU campus followed by two years immersed in nursing training at Riverside. Upon completion, students will have a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from CNU and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Riverside. Students will earn their first bachelor’s after four years, with the first year of courses at Riverside transferring back to CNU to complete needed requirements. After the fifth year, they will graduate with their bachelor’s in nursing.
Students will be considered CNU students with all associated rights and privileges, including housing, for the first four years of the program.
CNU President William Kelly and RCHS President Robin Nelhuebel signed an agreement Wednesday afternoon at a ceremony at the Riverside campus.
“We are proud that we can work with Riverside to educate and prepare the nurses so critical to the health of our community,” Kelly said.
According to a news release from CNU, projections show that there will be nearly 200,000 open nursing positions nationwide each year through 2032.
“This agreement supports the health care workforce needs of the Peninsula and beyond while leveraging the strengths of both institutions,” Nelhuebel said.
CNU students can start nursing classes in January or August, depending on when they complete their prerequisite courses. Students currently enrolled in CNU’s biology program may enroll.
The partnership comes 20 years after the university graduated its final class of nursing students in May 2004. Officials announced in 2002 that they would close the program to offset more than $4 million in budget cuts. At the time, the program was graduating about 20 students a year.
Nour Habib, nour.habib@virginiamedia.com
