News - Greenville University partners with St. John's College of Nursing
Greenville University partners with St. John's College of Nursing
Greenville University and St. John’s College of Nursing are pleased to announce a partnership that will give students a four-year path to earning a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). This will benefit GU students by reducing their nursing-school journey from five years to four years.
“We are happy to be partnering with St. John’s College of Nursing. They offer a top-notch BSN program with many connections for placement in hospitals and clinics across our region,” says Suzanne Davis, president of Greenville University. “We are also thankful for HSHS Holy Family Hospital for offering scholarships for local students to pursue a degree in nursing. This collaboration has been in the works for quite some time, so it’s great to see it come to fruition for current and future Greenville University students.”
The first pathway is for Greenville University students to complete their pre-nursing courses at GU, then attend St. John’s College of Nursing to complete the final two years of study in Springfield, Illinois, including clinicals at HSHS St. John’s Hospital. This pathway is available to GU students now. Prospective students may apply and be admitted in fall 2021.
The second pathway allows Greenville University students to complete their pre-nursing coursework at GU, then enter the St. John’s College of Nursing program on Greenville’s campus. In this scenario, the clinical experiences will take place at HSHS Holy Family Hospital, Greenville, and at other HSHS hospitals in the southern part of the state. This pathway is available upon approval from accrediting bodies. Students will be admitted through this pathway beginning fall 2022.
“All of us at St. John’s College of Nursing are excited about this partnership with Greenville University,” says Charlene Aaron, PhD, RN, chancellor and professor at St. John’s College of Nursing. “Students will now be able to meet their nursing goals more efficiently by saving both time and money to complete their degrees.”
Greenville University began working on this partnership with St. John’s College in February 2019, as prospective student demand for a nursing program increased. From the start, the partnership was a good fit with GU’s commitment to collaboration and innovation.
“Since we began working on this partnership… the leadership of St. John’s College of Nursing and Greenville University have each realized not only a practical benefit for our students, but also a shared mission of using education to promote Christian faith and service,” says Dr. Dave Holden, a GU dean who plays a key role in partnership development at the University. “Our colleagues at St. John’s are wonderful to work with, and we look forward to hosting their nursing program on our campus after the required regulatory approvals are finalized.”
About St. John’s College
St. John’s College, a department of St. John’s Hospital, in Springfield, Illinois, is the oldest Catholic hospital-based school of nursing in the United States. In 1886, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis founded St. John's Hospital School of Nursing. Their mission was to care for the sick and needy of the community in a spirit of joy, respect and commitment to competence. Initially the school was created as a two-year diploma program to educate members of the founding religious order. In 1912 the school accepted the first lay women. St. John's School of Nursing transitioned into St. John's College in 1991. Today, St. John's College students can earn a Bachelor or Master of Science in nursing degree. During our long and rich history, we have undergone many transitions. However, the constant has been dedication to the education of professional nurses whose practice exemplifies excellence in health care.
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high-quality Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states – Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.