JACKSON, Miss. (July 23, 2024) — According to Melissa Temple, director of nursing education for Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), there are about 3,000 vacant nursing positions in the state’s hospitals. She adds that this is not due to a shortage of nursing students, but rather a shortage of training resources. Nursing schools have had to turn away hundreds of potential students due to a lack of faculty.
To help address this shortage, and to prepare more Mississippians for careers in nursing, accredited online Western Governors University’s Michael O. Leavitt School of Health has announced the expansion of itsBachelor of Science in Nursing (Prelicensure) program to the Magnolia State. IHL has also approved WGU to offer clinical placements in the state.
WGU’s hybrid program allows Mississippians to take online courses anywhere they have access to the internet, complete two four-day-long lab experiences at one of the regional simulation labs, and participate in clinical experiences in Mississippi. Districts with clinical placement opportunities currently include Jackson and Gulfport.
With no prerequisites for enrollment, this program is approximately 60 percent online, with the remaining 40 percent as hands-on clinical and lab time. The completion of this program prepares students for the registered nurse (R.N.) licensing exam, National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN Exam).
WGU has nursing simulation centers in Houston, Salt Lake City and Kansas City, with additional facilities scheduled to open next year. More than 2,500 students nationwide are currently enrolled in this program and more than 2,000 have successfully graduated.
“With our online, asynchronous model, we can meet motivated students where they are and help prepare more Mississippians to enter the nursing profession,” said Kimberly K. Estep, PhD., Southeast regional vice president for WGU. “WGU also assigns each student a program mentor who will work with them from day one until graduation.”
Established in 1997 by a bipartisan group of United States governors, nonprofit WGU is a pioneer in competency-based education, which allows students to progress at their own pace. WGU currently has more than 880 students enrolled across Mississippi and more than 1,574 graduates in the state.
For more information about WGU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Prelicensure) program, visit https://bit.ly/WGUonlineBSN. For more information about Western Governors University, visit www.wgu.edu.
About WGU
A nonprofit, online university established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, WGU now serves more than 175,000 students nationwide and has awarded over 376,000 degrees to nearly 336,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In less than 30 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN and The New York Times. Learn more at wgu.edu and wgu.edu/impact.
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