A Consortium of Six Oregon Community Colleges Will Offer a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing
A Bachelor of Science degree in nursing will be offered to students who hold an associate degree by a consortium of six Oregon community colleges.
At present, associate nursing degrees are available at 17 community colleges, with a bachelor’s degree program on offer at the Oregon Health & Science University.
Colleges Offering the Degree Course
The 15-month course should become available by the fall of 2026 at the following community colleges – Klamath, Central Oregon, Linn-Benton, Oregon Coast, Chemeketa, and Treasure Valley.
Nurses will be able to continue working while studying for a BSc Nursing degree that will be offered in two classes every three-month term.
The object is to allow nurses to work while studying and to encourage them to remain in their community once qualified. Students will need 60 credits for core classes and an additional 30 credits for elective courses.
Each of the community colleges will offer seven slots annually, resulting in 42 graduates explains Holly Nelson, chief workforce innovation and community success officer at Chemeketa.
Degree Holders Earn More
The executive director of the Oregon Center for Nursing, Jana Bitton says the new degree course will offer a distinct advantage to students wishing to further their careers. Bitton points out that several hospitals only employ nurses with a bachelor’s degree.
They earn about $58 an hour, compared to $48 to $54 if employed in other areas like residential facilities.
The introduction of a bachelor’s degree in nursing was foreign to Oregon until last year when the Legislature approved its introduction.
Tuition fees have not been finalized but indications are that a bachelor’s in nursing will be marginally more expensive than an associate degree. Expectations are that the new degree course will cost in the region of $212 for each credit for in-state students.
Meanwhile, Oregon finds itself with a double-edged sword – a chronic nursing shortage coupled with too few nursing educators which hampers the ability to produce as many nurses as needed.
Educators earn about $49,000 less annually than practicing nurses, further complicating the ability to recruit sufficient staff, according to the Oregon Longitudinal Data Collaborative.
The consortium of six community colleges hopes to contribute to improving the nursing shortage situation by sharing the educator load. With only two classes each to handle, the colleges will be able to reshuffle staff to handle the additional load and keep the need for extra staff to a minimum.