Utica College Announces Launch of New Education Center and Accelerated Second Bachelor's Degree Nursing Program in St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Utica College, a leading provider of higher education, announced today the launch of its Accelerated Second Bachelor's Degree Nursing program in St. Petersburg to address the rising shortage of nurses in the region and across the state of Florida.

"This is an exciting time for the Tampa Bay area as well as for Utica College, and we are eagerly anticipating the launch of our Accelerated Second Bachelor's Degree Nursing program in St. Petersburg in August," said Dr. Todd S. Hutton, Utica College president. "There is so much opportunity for students pursuing nursing careers today.  As our population ages and the demand for nurses grows, it is critical to provide the latest educational advancements required to improve the delivery of health care. We are committed to giving our nursing students a curriculum that is in step with those advances –and helping them to successfully complete their bachelor's degree program in just four semesters.  We are confident they will graduate with the necessary leadership and clinical skills to excel anywhere in the health care industry."

More than 15,000 nursing jobs went unfilled in the state in 2012, according to the Florida Center for Nursing, and the shortage is projected to continue to grow in the coming decade. Utica College's nursing program will address this major workforce challenge by offering students an exceptionally high quality nursing education complete with clinical hours at area hospitals and medical facilities, and providing local health care employers with a valuable new source of top nursing talent. 

Headquartered in northeast St. Petersburg and centrally located to all area hospitals, Utica College has taken advantage of a location that has become the hot new destination for creative, innovative and smart young professionals.  Students can earn a baccalaureate degree in nursing in just 16 months through a combination of online and classroom learning and complete clinical hours at top healthcare facilities under the supervision of registered nurse educators. The program is a full-time plan of study designed for compassionate and dedicated professionals who already hold a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field and are motivated to become a nurse.

Utica College is an independently accredited private college founded in 1946, located in Central New York.   The College has a proud history of educating the nation's nurses, and its small class sizes and low student-to-faculty ratio provide an intimate educational experience tailored to the needs of each student. With its prestigious accelerated nursing program, students will be prepared to take advantage of numerous opportunities for exciting careers in hospital, clinic, private practice, or other health care facility settings here or throughout the United States. 

The St. Petersburg accelerated nursing program builds on the success of Utica College's accelerated nursing program in Syracuse, N.Y. The Syracuse program welcomed its first cohort in January 2013 and saw this group of nursing students graduate in April 2014. Several of these graduates were inducted into the prestigious Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing for academic performance.

STTI membership is by invitation to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship and to nurse leaders exhibiting exceptional achievements in nursing.

The St. Petersburg accelerated nursing program is currently accepting applications, and the first classes will begin next month. For more information on Utica College's accelerated nursing program, visit acceleratednursing.utica.edu/florida or call 866-890-9340.

About the program – Utica College's accelerated nursing program offers students with a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field the chance to finish nursing school in just 16 months. It balances online courses with hands-on clinical rotations throughout the Tampa Bay region. The simulation lab in St. Petersburg features the same medical technology used at hospitals and other healthcare settings. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.  It is also approved by the Florida Commission for Independent Education (provisional approval) & the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

About Utica College – Utica College, founded in 1946, is a comprehensive private institution offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The College, located in upstate central New York, approximately 90 miles west of Albany and 50 miles east of Syracuse, currently enrolls over 4,000 students in 36 undergraduate majors, 27 minors, 21 graduate, pre-professional and special programs. Utica College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Media Contact:
Christine Leogrande
315-223-2519
[email protected]

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SOURCE Utica College