University of Wisconsin-Madison: Transfer Agreement will Help Address Nursing Workforce Needs
A transfer agreement between Madison College and the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing will help address nursing workforce needs by creating greater access to nursing education. In addition, it will support the need for more Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) prepared nurses in health care and improve public health in the state of Wisconsin.
The new agreement between the two nursing programs will help facilitate the transfer of Madison College students who have earned their associate degree in nursing into the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s BSN completion track. Known as the BSN@Home program, the degree-completion pathway provides a flexible part time, online option for working registered nurses (RNs) looking to expand their career opportunities in health care.
“The partnership between Madison College and UW–Madison runs deep,” said Dr. Turina Bakken, provost of Madison College. “This new nursing agreement adds to that legacy as we work together to meet the critical nursing demand in our communities and create meaningful career options for our collective students.”
“This is the culmination of our efforts to create a seamless pathway from the associate degree in nursing to the baccalaureate degree,” said Dean Linda D. Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FNAP, FAAN, of the UW–Madison School of Nursing. “I am proud to contribute to the nursing workforce, together, in this way.”
A celebration of this development, including a ceremonial signing of the documents that outline the arrangement, will take place on Friday, May 6, at 12:30 p.m. in the Health Education building on Madison College’s Truax Campus. Time is scheduled post-event for media inquiries.
“I am thrilled that Madison College and the UW–Madison School of Nursing are partnering to create greater access to continued nursing education,” said Provost John Karl Scholz of UW–Madison. “In addition to benefitting individual students who wish to complete their baccalaureate nursing degree, this transfer agreement will have a positive impact on the nursing workforce and the health of the residents of Wisconsin. I appreciate the work that went into the development of this agreement and look forward to enhancing our strong partnership with Madison College.”
Since its inception in 1996, the primary goal of UW–Madison’s BSN@Home program is to help address the shortage of BSN prepared nurses in the state of Wisconsin, improving outcomes for patient care through increasing the number of nurses in the workforce with higher education levels. The innovative program is one of the most cost-effective ways to advance Wisconsin nursing to make a positive impact on the quality of health care provided. With graduates working in clinical and public health practice settings in every county in the state of Wisconsin, the UW–Madison School of Nursing is vital to educating the state’s health care workforce.
Dr. Jack Daniels, president of Madison College, noted that the transfer agreement provides a seamless experience from start to finish, adding, “We are excited to offer our graduates the ability to declare their transfer interest as soon as their first semester of nursing school at Madison College.”
“This program is a fantastic option for someone like me,” said Amy Kittleson, who is on track to graduate from Madison College with her associate degree in nursing in May. “As a lifelong learner, to be able to have a local option for achieving my goal of obtaining my BSN is outstanding. The opportunity to preplan my educational pathway without delay would eliminate that pressure and worry, which in turn would give me the ability to really focus on my current courses of study. And to be able to say I graduated from UW–Madison with my BSN would be an honor.”