PCC, APU Partnership Addresses Nursing Shortage

PasadenaCity College and Azusa Pacific University have announced a new partnership thatwill extend access to nursing education for residents of the San Gabriel Valleyregion and help alleviate the chronic nursing shortage statewide.

Thiscollaboration enables nursing students to concurrently enroll at PCC and AzusaPacific, earning credits and clinical experience through both institutions. Injust six semesters of total program study, PCC’s Associate Degree in Nursing(ADN) students will graduate from Azusa Pacific with their Bachelor of Sciencein Nursing (BSN). California healthcare organizations are moving toward hiringBSN-prepared graduates as the entry-level standard.

The accelerated program elevates the proficiency of nurses entering Southern California hospitals and clinics, moving these students beyond the two-year associate degree and increasing their skill as caregivers. In combining the low-cost, open-access program at PCC with Azusa Pacific’s nationally ranked School of Nursing, students from all educational backgrounds will walk a pathway to a high-paying, rewarding career. APU graduates approximately account for 4 percent of the newly registered nurses in the state, with an employment rate for all pre-licensure programs at 100 percent within a year of graduation – 90 percent of whom are employed within California.

“PCC’snursing students are resilient, determined, and dedicated to joining thehealthcare workforce,” said PCC Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas. “The statistics speak for themselves: 96 percent of ournursing graduates find employment, and 86 percent are making a living wage. Ourpartnership with APU will boost our students to the next level of their careersand bring them to the front lines in Southern California’s world-class clinicalenvironments.”

“Thisdynamic endeavor between PCC and APU shows what’s possible when public andprivate higher education work together to place student needs first, fuelingtheir academic and professional success, and helping address California’scritical nursing shortage,” said APU President Paul W. Ferguson, Ph.D., DABT. “Azusa Pacific University nursing graduates are amongthe most distinguished in the field, valued for their compassionate andcompetent care. APU looks forward toworking with PCC as a model for other such collaborations.”

Baccalaureate-preparednurses have been shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospital costs.Studies have shown that nurses with bachelor’s degrees score higher on measuresof quality and safety, and earn more. In fact, APU ranks in the top 14 percentof nursing programs nationwide for early and mid-career salaries, accordingto Payscale’s College Salary Report.

At thesame time, bachelor’s degrees can present financial challenges to students andtheir families. This effort contributes to the Institute of Medicine’s 2020goal to increase the percentage of nurses who attain a bachelor’s degree to 80percent by 2020. The National Education Progression inNursing Collaborative challengednursing educators to create a seamless model that allows ADN students tocomplete the BSN degree within 1-2 semesters. The Posey Foundation has workedclosely with Pasadena City College to start a micro-lending program through thePCC Foundation that will assist PCC nursing students in completing theirbaccalaureate education.

Students entering the PCC/APU program will have completedprerequisite courses required for admission to the PCC nursingprogram. Upon acceptance to the PCC/APU program, the studentconcurrently enrolls in classes at PCC and at Azusa Pacific, receiving completestudent status at both institutions.

Thetwo-year sequence covers 70 units at PCC in courses such as pharmacology,psychology, medical-surgical,obstetrics, and pediatrics, and 50units at Azusa Pacific, including pathophysiology, research and statistics,ethics and spirituality, and evidence-based practice. After the student’sfourth semester at PCC, students earn their associate’s degree in nursing andtake the state licensure exam to become a registered nurse. After completingtheir final preparatory courses including those in public health nursing atAzusa Pacific, they will earn their bachelor’s degree.

PCC hasbeen recognized twice in the last four years as one of the 10 best communitycolleges in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute’s Community College Excellenceprogram. In 2017, Azusa Pacific’s School of Nursing was ranked among the top 10best colleges to earn a nursing degree by USA Today.

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