SALINA — Utica College on Oct. 3 formally opened a simulation laboratory and testing site for its Accelerated Second Degree Nursing (ASDN) program at the school’s site at the Thruway Office Building at 290 Elwood Davis Road in Salina. Utica College is citing the 2010 to 2020 employment projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor […]
SALINA — Utica College on Oct. 3 formally opened a simulation laboratory and testing site for its Accelerated Second Degree Nursing (ASDN) program at the school’s site at the Thruway Office Building at 290 Elwood Davis Road in Salina.
Utica College is citing the 2010 to 2020 employment projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as one of the reasons for launching the ASDN program The BLS projection indicates “employment opportunities are on the rise for registered nurses,” according to Utica College.
The school sees the ASDN program as a way to meet a “very important economic need,” says Todd Hutton, president of Utica College.
“We really need to find ways in this state to train more nurses,” Hutton says.
The ASDN program is a 16-month hybrid curriculum of online study and hands-on clinical-placement experience, says Cathy Brownell, chair and associate professor of nursing at Utica College.
It is designed for individuals who have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing and are seeking a second career in nursing, she adds.
The 16-month instruction will include online theory courses and on-site clinical and laboratory work. The teaching methods include multi-media resources, and proctored testing on location to assess the students’ progress.
The school has had more than 7,300 inquiries about the ASDN program since the college started advertising it in the fall of 2012, says Brownell.
“By the time we got to the application phase [in October 2012], we had had a significant number of inquiries already,” she adds.
The ASDN program is currently full with 72 students, she adds. The next term begins Jan. 6 with a cohort of 48 students.
The school looked at about five locations before deciding on the space at 290 Elwood Davis Road, according to Hutton.
“The one thing we had to have was adequate parking because eventually this [program] will have 288 students,” he says.
The school wanted easy access to the site for students traveling to the area from communities such as Utica, Auburn, Binghamton, and Watertown, he adds.
The site is located near the Electronics Parkway exit along Interstate 90.
“It’s housed here in Syracuse based on needing to be centrally located,” says Jennifer Hill, site director for the Utica College ASDN program.
The 8,900-square-foot structure is equipped with a simulation lab and the same medical technology and equipment used in hospitals and other health-care settings, along with instruction rooms, computer areas, and a student lounge.
Utica College isn’t alone in offering this new nursing program, Hutton says.
The school has partnered with Carmel, Ind.–based Orbis Education, which “creates, markets collaborative health-care education programs designed to alleviate the growing shortage of practitioners,” according to the Orbis Education website.
The Utica College logo is among those displayed on the Orbis Education website, along with others that include Marian University in Indianapolis and Northeastern University.
Orbis Education handled the cost of preparing the space at the Thruway Office Building, the school will repay the Indiana firm “over time” for that investment, Hutton says.
The Central New York Business Journal inquired about the cost involved in offering the program and preparing the site, but Utica College officials didn’t respond before press time.
The New York State Education Department has approved Utica College’s ASDN program. The Middle States Commission on Higher Learning has regionally accredited the program, while the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education has “fully” accredited the program as well, the school said.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com