New agreement opens doors for increasing number of prepared nurses to enter profession
Millikin University and Richland Community College (RCC) have entered into a new agreement that will allow RCC nursing graduates to seamlessly transfer to Millikin University and complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The agreement was made official during a press conference at Richland Community College on May 8.
Millikin University and Richland Community College's new RN-BSN Dual Admission Program is designed to ensure the transfer of credits between the Associate in Applied Science in Nursing at Richland to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program at Millikin.
As part of the Dual Admission Program, students enrolled in Richland's Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program will be guaranteed admission to Millikin's RN-BSN program and granted a 10 percent tuition discount on Millikin's Flexible Student tuition rate, for three years, beginning after the student passes the National Council Licensure Examination and enrolls in his/her first upper division course at Millikin. The tuition discount is contingent upon the student's continuous enrollment in Millikin's BSN completion program.
"Millikin University and Richland Community College have shared a long history of collaboration," said Dr. Elizabeth Gephart, acting director for the Millikin School of Nursing. "The nursing programs at each of the institutions recognized the need to simplify and support nursing students who are graduating from Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs, and licensed by the State of Illinois as a Registered Professional Nurse (RN), to be able to seamlessly move into an upper division university to pursue their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The ideal pathway is a dedicated RN to BSN program."
The RN-BSN program at Millikin is designed to accommodate the schedules of busy registered nurses who want to advance their education and increase their career options. Students can complete the necessary coursework in a primarily online environment with supervised clinical experiences in the community.
Other program highlights include personalized attention for students from their nursing academic advisor; dedicated Millikin faculty members will provide individual attention and create opportunities for students to practice new skills in real health care settings; and students will be paired with nursing leaders to plan and implement projects that improve patient outcomes in health care organizations.
"Richland is committed to expanding educational opportunities for seamless transition in nursing education," said Shelly Baldwin, nursing program director at Richland Community College. "The recently signed agreement with Millikin provides our ADN students the opportunity to be admitted to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program while pursuing their ADN requirements at Richland. Dually admitted students receive a tuition discount at Millikin and access to additional university resources."
Millikin Provost Dr. Jeff Aper notes, "Millikin University and Richland Community College continue to work as partners in creating educational opportunities for people of our immediate region and beyond. Nursing is one of those areas where the excellent work done by faculty at both Richland and Millikin opens the doors for increasing numbers of very well-prepared nurses to enter the profession. As demand for such professionals continues to grow, this kind of partnership helps assure that we maximize our capacity to meet the needs of the larger health profession now and on into the future. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our colleagues at Richland to serve the people of Decatur, Macon County, Illinois and beyond."
"Dually admitted students receive a tuition discount at Millikin and access to additional university resources."
Millikin School of Nursing
The nursing programs at Millikin University foster the development of women and men in a community of life-long learners who are able to envision and shape the future of healthcare and compose a personal life of meaning and value. The framework for the nursing curricula at Millikin incorporates the School of Nursing mission, goals, and outcomes under the core concepts of person, nursing, environment, and health.
Richland Community College Associate Degree Nursing
The ADN Program at Richland Community College was developed to meet the need for registered nurses in the Decatur and surrounding areas. The Program’s mission is to prepare nurses to work in a multicultural, multiracial, diversified metropolitan industrial area that is surrounded by rural communities.
The purpose of the ADN Program at Richland Community College is to prepare competent, caring, and critically thinking graduates for entry-level positions in a variety of health care settings and to encourage commitment to personal and professional growth.