By Gerard Flanagan, news writer and photographer, Office of University Communications
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Campbellsville University's School of Nursing and Taylor Regional Hospital have formed a partnership to provide aid to prospective nursing students and nurses who are currently in the workforce.
“It is a real honor to partner with this fine university,” Joseph G. Hugar, president and chief executive officer at Taylor Regional Hospital, said. “The Campbellsville University School of Nursing is one of the best programs in the state. Our Medical Center, Taylor County and the entire Commonwealth are fortunate to have such a robust nursing program offering seven different tracks from beginning nursing careers to advanced nursing leadership,” he said.
According to Dr. Michele Dickens, dean of the Campbellsville University School of Nursing, undergraduate nursing students are eligible to receive scholarships from Taylor Regional Hospital if they agree to work for Taylor Regional upon graduation for a period of time depending on the amount of tuition received.
Registered nurses who currently work for Taylor Regional Hospital have an opportunity to further their education by being eligible for a 10% reduction in tuition for both the online RN to BSN and online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs at Campbellsville University.
The MSN program has two available options for study, the Family Nurse Practitioner track and the Health System Leadership track. Part-time or full-time tracks are available for the RN to BSN program and the MSN programs.
“We are committed to the university and together are making great strides in preparing tomorrow's nurses today. We are one of the few medical centers in the nation that have almost eliminated entirely contract or travel nurses by recently adding 30 new full time RNs,” Hugar said.
“Taylor Regional Hospital and Campbellsville University strongly believe that our partnership is vitally important to ensure that the region continues to have world-class care locally and to reduce the need to travel for quality medical or surgical care.”
Lisa Dickerson, chief nursing officer at Taylor Regional Hospital, said, “It is an honor to be involved with so many professional leaders in our area who are committed to working together to provide the very best healthcare for the communities we serve.”
Dickens said since the School of Nursing opened in 2006, it has always had an “amazing” partnership and support from Taylor Regional Hospital.
“Taylor Regional Hospital provides clinical experiences for our students as well as being a very important advocate for the School of Nursing,” she said.
Taylor Regional Hospital and Campbellsville University are two of the largest employers in the area with almost 700 employees each.
“As we all know, providing healthcare to our community is very important,” Dickens said. “We need nurses in all areas. As nurses enter the profession and want to engage in professional development, we have the opportunities at the School of Nursing to provide that to individuals interested in furthering their education.
“We can support students from the beginning of their career all the way to becoming a master's prepared nurse practitioner or nurse leader, all under the umbrella of the School of Nursing.”
Dickens said, “We face a critical shortage of healthcare providers, so we want to share with the community and stakeholders these opportunities for students to go into the healthcare profession and know there are partnerships available.”
Both the baccalaureate and master's nursing programs at Campbellsville University are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
The School of Nursing offers the following programs: Licensed Practical Nursing, Associate Degree in Nursing, Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner Track) and Master of Science in Nursing (Health System Leadership Track).
For more information, contact LaDonna Eastham, secretary for the School of Nursing, at (270) 789-5155 or lpeastham@campbellsville.edu.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed, Kentucky-based Christian university that has enrolled up to 12,000 students yearly. The university offers over 100 programs of study including doctoral, masters, bachelors, associate, and certification programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.