FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The Georgia Board of Nursing approved Fort Valley State University to launch its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The proud Wildcats are already accepting applications.
Travion Jackson is a sophomore at FVSU. He came to the university to get out of his comfort zone. He says the school has been a great fit for him. As a current biology major, he hopes to have a successful career in medicine. With the school now offering a pathway to becoming a nurse, Jackson says this is good for him and his classmates.
"I think it's a great opportunity, especially for those students that want to go into the medical field -- they now have more options on campus," Jackson said.
Jackson wants to be a nurse but also has dreams of becoming a doctor. He says he became interested in the healthcare field because of his love for athletics.
"Seeing how they help people on the field, they go out and help the athlete when they're injured or need attention. I don't know, I just love it," Jackson said.
The school will now accept applications through March 1, 2023. The first class of nurses will start in August. The program will be taught in the newly-renovated Meyer Hall. With new lab rooms, computer rooms, and simulation rooms, the inaugural program director of nursing Lawanda Greene says that will be a great addition to the school.
"I just love to teach and preparing the next generation of nurses, and I feel like we're going to get the best of the best here," Greene said.
According to the federal Bureau of Health Workforce, Georgia already has a nurses shortage and it will get worse by 2030. Now, the Peach State needs more than 2,000 nurses to make up for the shortage. Greene is hopeful this program could help curb it.
"Right now, we do have our nursing lab that is being developed and fully stocked and staffed. We would also need the support of the community to help us with getting clinical partnerships," Greene said.
According to the university, enrollment has tripled since this time last year. With the announcement, Green expects this will bring in more students interested in nursing.
"Our first cohort would be 40 students and we plan to increase that by 20 for the second cohort which would be in 2024," Greene said.