OU announced a partnership with two other Oklahoma universities to address the national nursing professional shortage through a guaranteed admissions program in a press conference Wednesday.
The presidents of University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and Murray State College joined OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. at the OU Health Sciences Center to reveal a partnership that will offer guaranteed admission to six qualified undergraduate nursing students to pursue their Bachelor of Science in nursing at OU College of Nursing’s locations in Lawton, Duncan and its online program.
USAO President John Feaver said the partnership will allow for nursing students with a deeper understanding of the humanities to enter the workforce. MS President Tim Faltyn said it will also benefit rural areas by allowing students to learn and work in their home areas, spreading more healthcare access.
“We can’t be everything to everybody, but together, we can get everybody served,” Faltyn said.
Last March, OU announced a policy that admitted all qualified nursing student applicants to OU’s College of Nursing. The plan was estimated to cost $14 million in the first year and aimed to continue through at least 2023. The additional funding came from the Regents for Higher Education, reserve funds and a private donation.
Harroz told OU Daily after the press conference that the university will continue to admit all qualified nursing student applicants in Fall 2023.
He also said the new partnership should not cost any additional funding outside of building up OU’s nursing program to accommodate the increase in students.
From 2020 to 2021, the number of registered nurses in the U.S. dropped by over 100,000, according to a study published in Health Affairs.
The national nursing shortage can be partially attributed to limited education opportunities caused by slim enrollment rates and a lack of faculty, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
“While there are strains that are being felt (at OU),” Harroz said. “It is nothing like the strain if you don’t have a nurse to help take care of you.”
This story was edited by Alexia Aston and Karoline Leonard. Grace Rhodes and Nikkie Aisha copy edited this story.
