Grand Canyon University opens nursing cohort site in Sun City

PHOENIX, Aug. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Grand Canyon University has added a seventh cohort site within its College of Nursing and Health Care Professions after partnering with Banner Health to create a nursing program in Sun City.

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The new cohort program, which will begin offering classes Aug. 26, is located at 10484 W. Thunderbird Road, directly across from Banner Boswell Medical Center. Courses in the pre-licensure program, RN to BSN and Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) will be offered.

In addition to its main campus in Phoenix, GCU also has cohort programs at A.T. Still University in Mesa, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix and Scottsdale Health Care, as well as sites in Tucson and Albuquerque, N.M.

"It takes a village to raise a nurse," said Dr. Roni (Kerns) Collazo, director of the BSN program at Banner Boswell. "We are grateful for the collaboration between Banner Health, Sun Health Foundation and the surrounding communities to provide the best nursing education possible as we create nurses for our future."

GCU's pre-licensure program has been in existence for more than 30 years and is well-respected within the country. In 2012, GCU's nursing graduates achieved a 97 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examinations, which are required to receive a professional nursing license.

The 21,000-square-foot Banner Boswell cohort site includes four classrooms, a computer lab, a state-of-the-art skills lab and a state-of-the-art simulation area that includes four patient rooms, a nurses' station and a home health apartment. In addition, the facility includes three quiet study rooms for students, a student lounge with views of Sun Lake and a patio area facing the lake.

The building was originally a country club before being converted to a nursing cohort program for Mesa Community College nine years ago.

"We're thrilled to be a part of an educational partnership with Grand Canyon University," said Paulette Compton, Nursing Program Director for Banner Health. "Banner Health is dedicated to its mission of providing excellent patient care. To help reach that goal, we're aiming to increase the number of BSN RNs working here through a partnership with Grand Canyon University to provide a pre-licensure RN to BSN program."

GCU will admit 40 students three times a year at the Banner Boswell site for the pre-licensure program. The first class for this fall is already full and will graduate in December of 2014. Students interested in future admissions should call Marshall Moore with GCU at (602) 639-6670 or visit www.gcu.edu. The BSN program is approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

About Grand Canyon University 
Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona's premier private Christian university. GCU is regionally accredited and emphasizes individual attention for both traditional undergraduate students and the working professional in seven colleges: the Ken Blanchard College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Theology, the College of Fine Arts and Production, and the College of Doctoral Studies. GCU offers traditional programs on its growing campus, as well as online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs.  The University's curriculum fuses academic and clinical rigor with Christian values to prepare its students to be skilled, caring professionals. For more information about GCU, visit www.gcu.edu.

About Banner Health
Headquartered in Phoenix, Banner Health is one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system manages 24 acute-care hospitals, the Banner Health Network and Banner Medical Group, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services including family clinics, home care and hospice services, and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com.

SOURCE Grand Canyon University