Two area community colleges announced a partnership this week to expand nursing education in Northern Michigan.
The agreement between North Central Michigan College and Davenport University will allow students pursuing an associate degree from NCMC to transition to a bachelor of science in nursing from Davenport.
Amy Stahley, dean of the College of Health Professions at Davenport, said it comes at a time when northern Michigan needs nurses to stay in the community after graduation.
“We give them that flexibility,” Stahley said. “They're done in a year after they complete their Associate's degree. It gets them out into the workforce [soon after] as a bachelor's prepared nurse.”
The collaboration stems from a 2022 law allowing Michigan’s community colleges to partner with four-year universities to offer nursing programs.
Program funding was provided through a $2 million grant from the State of Michigan in Public Act 103 of 2023.
“Many four-year universities already had these completion programs,” Stahley said. “Instead of the community colleges doing that, why not tap into some of the partners that already have this in place?”
In May of 2023, NCMC announced it would offer a practical nurse certificate program starting in 2024. Unlike registered nurses, practical nurses only required a certificate rather than an associate's or bachelor's degree.
The partnership with Davenport targets prospective registered nurses. Under the agreement, NCMC nursing students would spend three years at North Central completing an associate degree before earning a BSN during a fourth year spent locally, but as Davenport students.
“This partnership is critical to the ultimate goal of producing more nurses with higher-level degrees to work in our hospitals,” said Davenport President Richard J. Pappas. “We know the North Central graduates who will be coming to us will be well educated and ready for the next steps in their education and their careers. This collaboration is an important step in closing the talent gap that exists in the nursing profession.”
Davenport’s BSN completion program is available this winter. Interested students can attend planned virtual information sessions to learn more.
The sessions are scheduled for Feb. 6 from noon to 1 p.m. and Feb. 8 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Registration is required.
