Northeastern University and Orbis Education Partner to Tackle Nursing Shortage

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Northeastern University, a global, experiential research institution, has teamed up with Orbis Education to help Northeastern's Bouve College School of Nursing expand its baccalaureate and masters degree programs nationwide. Orbis Education will provide online learning, marketing, and operational support for the Northeastern degree offerings.

This innovative collaboration will incorporate online learning and traditional hospital-based clinical experience for adult students in selected markets throughout the United States. Boston-based Northeastern plans to expand all of its programs, including an RN-to-BSN program, baccalaureate program (BSN), as well as several graduate-level programs.  One particular area of focus will be on nurse practitioner (NP) programs.  Graduates from NP programs are highly sought, and new health care reforms will make the demand even greater.

"We are very pleased to work with a prestigious partner like Northeastern," said Daniel Briggs, Chief Executive Officer of Orbis Education.  "Expanding the capacity of Northeastern's undergraduate and graduate degree programs will continue our corporate goal of alleviating the real nursing shortage that our nation faces. This collaboration allows us to continue to provide highly skilled, well-qualified, registered nurses that are sought after by employers."  

Orbis Education is an industry-leading provider of collaborative education solutions, providing everything necessary to assist colleges and universities in the expansion their nursing education programs. Orbis will use its expertise in online technology, instructional design, project management, marketing, and implementation to enable the Northeastern University Bouve College School of Nursing to attract career-changers and individuals wanting to work as a healthcare professional.  

According to the Institute of Medicine's 2010 report, The Future of Nursing, the role of nursing is changing, and the demand for nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and graduate level should increase to 80%.  Despite significant job loss in nearly every industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 280,000 new jobs have been added to the health care sector in the last year.  And, despite changes brought about by the economic downturn, the current nursing shortage is more than twice as large as any nursing shortage the United States has ever experienced, with more than 250,000 new nurses needed in the next decade.

Recognizing the severe shortage, the Northeastern and Orbis Education partnership demonstrates a growing trend.  Increasingly, nursing schools are expanding capacity through partnerships that allow the schools to focus on quality outcomes while allowing a partner to focus on scaling the programs.  

Pending necessary regulatory approvals, Northeastern intends to begin expanding its programs in early 2012.  

About Northeastern University and the School of Nursing

Founded in 1898, Northeastern University (www.northeastern.edu), ranked No. 4 in Forbes Magazine as one of "America's Most Entrepreneurial Campuses", and known as a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience, the university is the home of more than 35 specialized research and education centers and over 125 graduate level programs that awards masters, doctoral, and professional degrees.  Northeastern's faculty has garnered international recognition for their achievements in teaching and research. In 2011, Northeastern received 43,000 undergraduate applications for the fall semester, the largest for any private university nationally. The Nursing Program was established as a baccalaureate program within Bouve College of Health Sciences in 1962 and became part of Northeastern University in 1964. In 1973 the first RN to BSN program was established.

About Orbis Education

Founded in 2003, Orbis Education is a leading innovator of integrated solutions.  Orbis facilitates alliances with leading nursing schools and healthcare systems to address local nursing shortages and deliver better quality of care.  Orbis creates, manages, and markets collaborative nursing education solutions that effectively alleviate registered nurse workforce shortages across the country.  Orbis has already formed strategic partnerships with numerous prestigious healthcare and academic institutions, such as Sharp HealthCare (www.sharp.com), Marian University (www.marian.edu), St. Vincent Health (www.stvincent.org), Roseman University of Health Sciences (www.roseman.edu), previously named University of Southern Nevada, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals (www.strosehospitals.org) and Glendale Adventist Medical Center (www.glendaleadventist.com). Postured for growth, Orbis is on track for establishing many more new collaborative nursing education partnerships by 2020. For more information, visit www.orbiseducation.com.   

SOURCE Orbis Education