Marian University marks opening of state-of-the-art nursing program site

Marian University marked the official opening of its state-of-the-art learning lab for accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing students on Aug. 3 in the IBC Bank Building at 3817 Northwest Expressway. Attendees heard remarks from honored guests followed by a ribbon cutting celebration, and a tour of the accelerated nursing program site.

The event was attended by dignitaries from Marian University, Mercy Hospital, Cedar Ridge, the Greater OKC Chamber of Commerce, among other community members and showcased the university’s distinctive program designed to put nurses on the front lines of care in as little as 16 months.

“At Marian University, we integrate knowledge and faith to train nursing students to care for the mind, body and soul,” said Daniel J. Elsener, the university’s president.

Along with rigorous coursework, students can put their skills to work in an interactive learning simulations. “Here, students can make decisions in a safe environment before delivering real-world, patient-centered care as part of their clinical rotations at local hospitals,” said Dr. Michelle Pivacek Garrison, academic director of Marian University’s Leighton School of Nursing. “And classes are small,” she said, “with a low student-to-faculty ratio.”

Marian University has a proven track record in accelerated nursing education, with similar programs in Indianapolis and Nashville. That’s important, Garrison said, “because America and Oklahoma need nurses.”

Oklahoma is facing a similar shortage, according to a report by the Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development, which revealed the ratio of registered nurses per population in the state was 700 RNs per 100,000 people – well below the national average of 1,150 per 100,000. 

“Not only are we serving an aging population, but many nurses are leaving the field altogether,” Garrison said. “These issues are exacerbated by a global pandemic and university nursing education programs that are at capacity and unable to accept new students.”

In 2019, more than 80,000 qualified applicants with a passion for nursing were turned away from college and university nursing programs nationwide. The reasons: a lack of faculty, clinical placements and space, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Anyone interested in learning more about the 16-month, accelerated nursing program should visit www.marian.edu/gonurse or contact Deb Downard at (405) 666-0655.