CState’s new Nursing bachelor’s degree announced at June 8 press conference

Cincinnati State’s application to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degee has been approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

A press conference on June 8 announced the state approval and next steps for the College’s third bachelor’s degree program. (See photos below)

The new degree program is expected to begin offering classes in Fall of 2023, after review and approval by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

The initial group of BSN students will have a minimum of 30 participants and could be larger, depending on demand.

• With the new BSN degree, Cincinnati State will be the only college in the region to offer a complete nursing education pathway– from State Tested Nurse Aide (STNA) to Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Each level of Cincinnati State’s nursing pathway leads to an in-demand job and is a stepping stone to the next level.

• Most local hospitals currently require bedside nurses to be Registered Nurses (RNs). However, BSN-educated nurses are becoming the norm. Many hospitals have a goal of employing up to 80 percent of their nursing staff as nurses with BSN degrees.

Cincinnati State’s new BSN program also will help increase the diversity of the local nursing workforce so it better matches the racial diversity of Greater Cincinnati. Research has shown that diversity in the nursing workforce may improve overall patient outcomes.

“Quality of instruction and diversity have always been strengths of the Cincinnati State nursing program,” wrote Regina Hutchins, president of the Black Nurses Association of Greater Cincinnati, in a letter to the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education prior to ODHE approval of the new degree.

Cincinnati State’s associate degree RN graduates consistently achieve among the highest licensure exam scores in the region, even compared to students completing university-based BSN programs.

In addition to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Cincinnati State currently offers Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in Land Surveying and Culinary & Food Science.

Media coverage:

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported on the new BSN degree in a June 8 article, “Ohio’s higher education department OKs bachelor’s in nursing degree at Cincinnati State.”

Other media coverage included:

• WKRC Local 12 TV (June 8)
• WVXU radio (June 8)
• The Cincinnati Business Courier (June 8, may require subscription to read)
• Editorial by Dr. Monica Posey in the Cincinnati Enquirer (June 12)

(Headline photo by Liz Dufour, Cincinnati Enquirer; other photos by Brittany King)