ELKINS – Davis & Elkins College RN-BSN graduates have a new opportunity to further their studies on multiple graduate levels. D&E and Carlow University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have recently formed an academic partnership offering eligible students a smooth transition into accessible programs.
Increasing numbers of BSN prepared nurses are realizing the importance of gaining leadership, education and clinical skills within the profession and the need to be prepared to address the changing demands of health care.
“This partnership provides an opportunity for our nursing students to pursue a graduate degree from a respected, regional university while also expanding their career options,” said D&E Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rob Phillips. “We’re very happy to partner with Carlow University and look forward to working with them to increase the number and quality of nursing professionals and educators in the state and in the region.”
Facilitated by Chair of the D&E Division of Nursing Dr. Huixin Wu, DNP, MBA, RN, CCRN, CCNS, the partnership is designed to address the need for graduate level nursing programs that fall in line with the standards set by D&E. Students will be able to easily transition from their BSN program at D&E to CU’s MSN Education and Leadership Program (100% online), DNP Systems Leadership (hybrid), MSN to DNP accelerated option (hybrid) or Family Nurse Practitioner and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner degrees (hybrid).
“I highly recommend that our D&E BSN graduates and nursing faculty members take this excellent opportunity to further their education,” said Wu, who also serves as director of the D&E Bachelor of Nursing programs and associate professor of nursing. “As the D&E nursing division is growing, we are expecting to hire more full-time and part-time nursing educators.”
D&E students will receive a 15% tuition discount for any MSN and DNP program at Carlow University beginning this fall. In addition, any DNP program student can work as a Carlow University graduate assistant and receive $2,300 with 75 hours workload every semester. D&E BSN graduates also can apply for the HRSA Nursing Faculty Loan Forgiveness Program (NFLP). Qualified students can borrow up to $13,000 per year if they commit to working as nursing educators for at least four years. Through NFLP, they may receive 20% loan forgiveness in the first three years post-graduation and 25% loan forgiveness in the fourth year for a total of 85% loan forgiveness.
Student and faculty engagement will occur via the CU online learning management system and additional engagement will take place throughout the semester online or by appointment with individual academic advisors.
For additional information, contact Wu at 304-637-1375 or by email at wuh@dewv.edu.
The Davis & Elkins College Nursing Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and is fully approved by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses. Carlow University Nursing Programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
The Davis & Elkins College Division of Nursing prepares students to function competently and safely at the beginning staff-level position and provides the foundation for upward mobility into higher levels of nursing education. The Associate in Science degree in nursing curriculum combines selections from the liberal arts and related cognates with courses from the professional major. In addition, the concept of educational mobility is incorporated, allowing LPN students to enter the curriculum with advanced placement. The Bachelor of Science degree in nursing incorporates some courses from the associate degree program and some courses from the degree completion program. The 100% online RN-BSN Degree Completion Program is designed for working RNs who are adult learners and can be completed in 12 months.
