There were nearly 5,000 open nursing jobs in Michigan last year, according to the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.
A collaboration between Grand Rapids Community College, Davenport University, Ferris State and Grand Valley State aims to help graduates with an Associate Degree in Nursing get their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) by making it easier to transfer between programs.
The new initiative is called “West MI BSN Connect” and allows GRCC graduates to move seamlessly into a partner university’s Registered Nurse to BSN program, avoiding extra time and expense.
Lisa Radak is the Dean of the School of Health Sciences at GRCC.
“We really are passionate about supporting West Michigan. That's why we opted to partner with our three local university partners for this endeavor rather than just picking one individual because we really want to support West Michigan as a whole. So we looked at this in a little bit different light of not just the benefit to the student, but also the benefit to the region.”
West MI BSN Connect will combine recruitment efforts and offer mentoring and financial aid resources, as well as waive some fees for GRCC students in the BSN program.
The collaboration will also include partnerships with area healthcare employers to place graduates and offer continuing education in nursing.
For more information about West MI BSN Connect and upcoming opportunities, please visit GRCC’s website.
