Professionals looking to make the leap into nursing from other fields will be able to train in a new program at Linfield University launching in January 2023.
“The new degree offering allows students with a degree in another field to leverage their previous education and career experience to seamlessly pivot to a new career: nursing,” said Kim Dupree Jones, dean of the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing.
Linfield is the first Oregon-based higher education institution offering this opportunity, and there is an eager job market for nurses and nurses-to-be in the Oregon healthcare community. The Linfield University Board of Trustees approved the new program at its November meeting.
Known as the Master’s Entry into Professional Nursing (MEPN) program, any prospective student who has earned a bachelor’s degree in another field will be able to enter the nursing field at every level – including management. Those without a bachelor’s degree in hard sciences will need to complete additional prerequisites before entering the MEPN program. Students graduate with a Master of Science in Nursing.
Prospective students can sign up for the MEPN e-mail list at https://www.linfield.edu/mepn/index.html to receive program specifics and deadlines as they develop.
Features of the program include:
- An 18-month accelerated learning program resulting in a master’s of science in nursing degree and prepared for licensing exams.
- Six 10-week accelerated terms and a two-week intensive simulation practicum.
- Blended learning that includes online and on-campus classes as well as on- and off-site clinical rotation.
Linfield’s nursing program recently completed a 700% re-investment in simulation labs that re-create circumstances nurses will encounter on the job.
“Simulated circumstances include evolving strokes, heart attacks, all the way to birth,” Jones said.
More information about the program can be found at linfield.edu/mepn.
