Mercer Fast-Tracks a Solution to Georgia’s Critical Nursing Shortage

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Nursing students

How an innovative, 12-month nursing program in Atlanta will help fill the demand

ATLANTA – The nationwide nursing shortage is expected to hit critical levels over the next decade, and Georgia is no exception. That’s why Mercer University is expanding its nursing program to offer qualified students a new, one-year accelerated path to nursing.

Mercer’s Georgia Baptist College of Nursing is launching an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in Atlanta. The program is specially designed for students looking to change careers without starting over.

Students can leverage their existing non-nursing bachelor’s degrees to earn a BSN in as few as 12 months through a combination of online coursework, onsite experience at the College of Nursing’s state-of the-art lab and clinical rotations at top area hospitals.

“It is our duty to do everything we can as educators to keep up with the demand by providing excellent nursing education options like our new Accelerated BSN program in Atlanta,” said Dr. Linda Streit, dean of the College of Nursing. “We are dedicated to developing knowledgeable, ethical, caring and compassionate nurses who are ready to become the next generation of highly qualified practicing nurse leaders in Georgia and across the nation.”

Georgia is projected to need an additional 13,510 registered nurses by 2026 in order to keep up with the demands of a rapidly growing population. That’s a little more than 5,000 new nurses each year.

In fact, demand for nurses is so great in the area that Forbes recently listed Atlanta as one of 15 great cities for nurses, citing demand and pay as key factors in the magazine’s selection of the city.

Mercer’s ABSN program has seats available now and offers three start dates each year.

The University is currently accepting applications for the program’s first start date in May 2019.

To learn more, visit absn.mercer.edu or call (844) 319-2108.

About the College of Nursing

Founded in 1902 as a school of nursing, the Georgia Baptist College of Nursing is the longest established nursing program in Georgia. Over its 116-year history, the College has graduated more than 8,500 nurses. The College remains dedicated to educating the person, fostering the passion and shaping the future of nursing. The College merged with Mercer in 2001 and offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (including a traditional BSN, RN-BSN and an Accelerated BSN), a Master of Science in Nursing, a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Ph.D. in nursing. The College of Nursing is one of four academic units within the Mercer Health Sciences Center, along with the School of Medicine, College of Pharmacy and College of Health Professions. For more information, visit nursing.mercer.edu.