Ramapo College of New Jersey aims to graduate more licensed nurses to address the shortage in New Jersey with the addition of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The innovative program enables qualified candidates to complete the degree requirements in only 16 months.
New Jersey is one of the Top 10 states with the most open nursing positions.
The state also expects a shortage of more than 11,000 nurses by 2030, according to New Jersey Hospital Association CEO and President Cathy Bennett.
The ABSN is a full-time, 16-month program beneficial to those with an undergraduate degree and interested in a career change into nursing, those currently working in health care and wish to become Registered Nurses with a BSN, and community college students who completed an RN program and want to earn the BSN. For candidates who might not have the necessary prerequisites, a bridge program that offers the required coursework for the ASBN is available.
Students will enjoy special flat-rate program tuition, a cohort model that fosters collaboration and support with classmates, as well as the state-of-the-art facilities in the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence. Ramapo has longstanding partnerships with a number of esteemed area hospitals and centers for clinical site placements, including Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Paterson, University Hospital in Newark, Holy Name in Teaneck, New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, HMH Hackensack University Medical Center and Atlantic Health System hospitals.
This program can be attributed to a legislative resolution co-sponsored by state Sen. Joe Lagana (D-Paramus) and Assemblywoman Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn) that provided Ramapo with a $1 million appropriation to meet the expected need for more nurses in New Jersey. The funds awarded are being used to increase the number of clinical simulation rooms and hire additional faculty to meet the demands that increasing enrollment will create.
Interest in nursing is growing, as evident in the more than 900 applications for Ramapo
College’s direct-admit BSN program, an increase of more than 30% over this time last year.
Nursing programs at Ramapo College have been revered for years, with consistently impressive rankings that include having one of the Top 3 BSN programs, the No. 1 online RN to BSN program in New Jersey, and the No. 5 Master of Science in Nursing in nursing administration program in the nation. The college graduated its first Doctor of Nursing Practice students in May 2023.
The ABSN program will enroll its first cohort to begin in May, and the portal to submit applications is now open. Online information sessions about the program will run Wednesday and Jan. 23.
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