Aiming to help ease a statewide nursing shortage, Notre Dame of Maryland University and Mount St. Mary’s University have partnered to make it a bit faster to become a nurse.
The two schools signed an agreement Tuesday morning that will simplify the enrollment process from Mount St. Mary’s pre-nursing track into Notre Dame’s fast-track bachelor of science in nursing program. After graduating from Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, students can complete the Notre Dame program in a minimum of 15 months.
“I am pleased for Notre Dame of Maryland University to partner with Mount St. Mary’s University to deliver our accelerated, second-degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing to students with a passion for healthcare,” Notre Dame President Marylou Yam said in a news release. “Our collaborative agreement with Mount St. Mary’s will strengthen the pipeline for more professional registered nurses to provide life-saving and compassionate care to patients around Maryland and in the nation.”
Notre Dame’s nursing program can be completed in person on the main North Baltimore campus or through a hybrid of online and in-person instruction with clinical experiences in Elkridge. Notre Dame enrolls new students in the Baltimore program in May, and the Elkridge site accepts students for September, January and May.
“In our traditional health science/nursing dual degree programs, our students have chosen not to leave the Mount to complete their degree at another university,” Mount St. Mary’s President Timothy Trainor said. “Through this innovative program, students will complete their health science degree at the Mount before moving on to Notre Dame to earn an accelerated, second-degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
“Completing their nursing degree at Notre Dame also ensures that Mounties will continue to be educated in the Catholic intellectual tradition as they complete the coursework needed so they can join the ranks of nurses providing top-notch and compassionate care to patients.”
Demand for nurses only continues to grow.
One in four hospital nursing positions is vacant in Maryland, according to the 2022 Maryland Hospital Association Workforce Survey.
And the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that more than 275,000 additional nurses will be needed from 2020 to 2030. Employment opportunities for nurses will grow faster than all other occupations from 2016 through 2026, according to the bureau.
“As an R.N. myself, I know firsthand the positive impact that professional nursing has on health care outcomes, health policy and research,” Yam said at the signing of the agreement.