OLIVET, Mich. — On Feb. 19, Olivet College and Kellogg Community College (KCC) entered into an articulation agreement that facilitates the transfer of credits between the two institutions to assist students pursing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with a smooth curriculum transition that minimizes loss of credit and duplication of coursework. The Olivet College program is the only BSN program located in the Battle Creek area.
The program serves three populations of students seeking a seamless path to a BSN:
1. Graduates of KCC’s associate’s degree in nursing program
2. Traditional undergraduate students at Olivet College
3. Professional registered nurses (RNs) currently working in health care
Students will follow an academic pathway either beginning at Olivet College and transferring to KCC’s nursing program or beginning at KCC and transferring to Olivet College’s RN-BSN program. The RN-BSN program provides a path for students with an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) who hold licensure in the state of Michigan as an RN to pursue a BSN degree.
In June 2018, the two colleges entered into a partnership establishing the Olivet College RN-BSN program on the KCC campus. In only its second semester, 22 registered nurses are pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Nursing through Olivet College.
The Olivet College distinctive, relationship-based program is designed to provide multiple delivery models to assure that students feel supported in completing the program while balancing their family-work-life responsibilities. Three modes of delivery are provided for students:
* Face-to-face courses held on the Kellogg Community College campus
* An interactive online experience in real time with the face-to-face class
* An asynchronous online experience, which allows students to complete courses at times convenient around their work and family responsibilities
“This articulation agreement demonstrates how a four-year college and a community college can work together to build a workforce dedicated to improving the quality of life and health care in the Battle Creek region and beyond,” said Steven M. Corey, Ph.D., president of Olivet College. “This program assists Michigan in increasing the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses in our state. We are pleased to partner with Kellogg Community College on this important initiative.”
KCC President Mark O’Connell said the partnership with Olivet College will create opportunities for students in the Battle Creek area who wish to earn BSN degrees locally and remain in the area to pursue rewarding careers in nursing.
“The shortage of skilled, credentialed nurses is creating genuine challenges in health care today and it’s incumbent upon educational institutions to create new, viable pathways for the next generation of nurses to enter their professions fully prepared,” O’Connell said. “By combining our efforts, KCC and Olivet College are helping to close the gaps for students and employers.”
According to Dr. Lorraine Manier, DNP, MSN-ED. RN, Olivet College director of nursing education, the number of health care industries requiring that registered nurses have completed a BSN degree is growing. “The American Nurses Association states that hospitals wanting to achieve Magnet status must increase their BSN workforce to 80 percent by 2020,” she said. “Magnet status measures the strength and quality of a hospital’s nursing staff. In addition, many health care facilities in general are requiring RNs to have a BSN for entry-level nursing positions. The Olivet College-Kellogg Community College partnership ensures that traditional nursing students and our professional learners have available a variety of delivery models that support them in completing their BSN degree while respecting their family, work and life responsibilities.”
The RN-BSN program requires completion of 120 credit hours earned through a combination of upper-division nursing courses, credits transferred from the ADN-granting institution and “flexible credits.”
The RN-BSN program is an approved program of Olivet College, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The College is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and is an applicant of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
For more information, please contact Jim Weidman, director of admissions for adult professionals and graduate programs, at 269.749.6612 or jweidman@olivetcollege.edu or Dr. Lorraine Manier, director of nursing education, at 269.749.7437 or lmanier@olivetcollege.edu.
