New bachelor’s degree program in nursing to launch at Sinclair Community College

Starting January 2024, registered nurses will have the opportunity of attending Sinclair Community College to obtain a bachelor of science in nursing. This will be a new program for the school.

Officials at Sinclair hope the program will aid in filling the shortage of nurses currently being experienced in the Dayton region of Ohio. The program should allow students a lower cost option to getting a critical education in the healthcare field.

Sinclair Community College’s President, Steve Johnson, was quoted in the Dayton Daily News about the new program: “We are so excited to work with our healthcare providers to make sure that this critical workforce need is filled to the best of our ability.”

Lisa Gossett, who serves as the chief nursing officer and chief experience officer for Premier Health, spoke about the hiring practices of nurses at the hospital, and the importance of providing education to their workforce, saying, “Research has shown that hospitals with a higher concentration of bachelor-prepared (registered nurses) have better patient outcomes. With this information, health care organizations have created plans to increase the number of RNs with BSNs.”

According to the Ohio Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, 8,357 registered nursing positions open every year throughout Ohio, and projects needing registered nurses grow by more than 1,000.

There are currently just under 1,000 new openings per year for registered nurses in the Dayton metro area. There is also a projected annual growth of just under 200 positions, with just over 1,200 openings expected over the next four years.

Currently Sinclair Community College offers an associate degree for registered nurses, and will be the first community college in the area to offer Bachelor of Science in Nursing when the program begins. Currently only traditional four year universities such as Miami University and Wright State University offer BSNs in the area. 

According to Sinclair spokeswoman Cathy Petersen, the program is designed for people who already have an associate degree in nursing, and are already nurses. This makes it different from the four-year university programs that are already available.

In order to become a registered nurse in Ohio, one must complete an accredited program at either a two-year or four-year school, and must pass the National Council Licensure Exam. Though, throughout Ohio, according to Sinclair, more hospitals are looking to increase the number of nurses who hold bachelor’s degrees.

The Institute of Medicine recommended back in 2010 that the healthcare industry should work to increase the percentage of nurses with bachelor degrees by 80% by 2020. Because nurses have the most contact with patients in hospitals, the Institute of Medicine encouraged hospitals to take advantage of the skills and education that are available to the nursing profession. 

President and CEO of the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association Sarah Hackenbracht spoke on the future of the healthcare profession in Ohio: “As we look to the future, I believe many healthcare organizations are looking at diversity of skillset within clinical care teams to ensure they are able to serve patients safely and provide the highest quality of care. One of the most important actions healthcare organizations can take is to build care models that help licensed care providers operate the highest level their license allows.”

More information about Sinclair Community College can be found at the school’s website.