WGU to Partner with Service Employees International Union to Offer Affordable Degree Programs for Nurses

Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP) and SEIU to work with online university to provide BSN and MSN opportunities to members            

SALT LAKE CITY, May 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Western Governors University (WGU), www.wgu.edu, Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), www.seiu.org, have partnered to provide the union's 85,000 nurses a new, more affordable means to earn advanced degrees. Under the terms of an agreement with the Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP), SEIU members will receive information regarding WGU's accredited BSN and MSN degree programs as well as eligibility for a 5% discount for up to two years.

WGU offers online, CCNE-accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs for working nurses. These programs are ideal for RNs who wish to complete their bachelor's degrees as well as those who wish to prepare to become advanced practice nurses or educators by earning a master's degree. All online, WGU's programs use an innovative, competency-based learning model. Designed for working adults with prior education and experience, competency-based learning allows students to move quickly through what they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn.

"This partnership will support the career aspirations of nurses and ultimately equip nurses with deeper skills and expertise, whether at the bedside, in a clinic or health center, or within the home," said Diane Sosne, RN, MN and President of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.  "This opportunity is more important than ever as nurses strive to deliver the right care at the right time in the right setting for patients."

In addition to their flexibility, WGU's advanced nursing degree programs are of very great value. With the H-CAP discount, tuition is approximately $6,200 per 12-month year. In addition, scholarships and federal financial aid are available to qualified students.                  

WGU was created in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to provide affordable access to high-quality higher education. Since that time, WGU has grown into a national university with more than 39,000 students in all 50 states. Enrollment in the university's College of Health Professions has grown to more than 8,500 students in just five years.

About Western Governors University 
Featured on NPR's "All Things Considered," The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, CNN's "Schools of Thought," and in The New York Times, WGU is the only university in the U.S. offering accredited, competency-based bachelor's and master's degree programs. Recognized in 2013 as one of Fast Company magazine's 50 most innovative companies, The university has four colleges offering degrees in high-demand career fields: business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.

WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The university's bachelor's and master's nursing degree programs have been accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and its B.S. in Health Informatics is accredited by CAHIIM (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education).

WGU currently has four state-based universities: WGU Indiana, WGU Missouri, WGU Texas, and WGU Washington. These state-endorsed universities are providing additional capacity to their states' higher education systems with no ongoing cost to the states.

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu or by calling 866.225.5948.

About the Nurse Alliance of SEIU Healthcare
The Nurse Alliance of SEIU Healthcare, representing 85,000 Registered Nurses in 21 states, advances and strengthens the voice of nurses on the local and national levels,  trains and empowers nurse leaders in policy-making and politics, and promotes quality, affordable and accessible healthcare that enhances positive health outcomes using evidence-based best practices. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About H-CAP 
The Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP) is a national labor-management organization that promotes innovation and quality in healthcare career education.  Its board consists of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) locals and both acute care and ambulatory health systems including, the New York League of Voluntary Hospitals, Swedish Medical Center, Valley Medical Center, Kaleida Health, Kaiser Permanente, Allegheny General Hospital, HealthPartners Minnesota, Dimensions Health System, University of Miami Hospital, and the Los Angeles Department of Health Services.

H-CAP provides an opportunity to share best practices in workforce development and planning, align healthcare professional education with industry needs, address changes in healthcare technology and its workforce implications, and develop programs that combine career advancement with quality outcomes.   H-CAP is working with its partners to transform healthcare workforce education policies and practices to better meet the need for quality care and critically thinking personnel in a dynamic and changing industry.

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SOURCE Western Governors University