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University of Maryland School of Nursing to Expand Undergraduate Program at Shady Grove

June 16, 2008

Baltimore, Md.—In response to the increasing demand for highly skilled nurses in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region, the University of Maryland School of Nursing has announced plans to expand its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in Rockville, Md., beginning in fall 2008. The School of Nursing has experienced steady growth in enrollment at Shady Grove since it started offering courses at that location in 2000. Those initial programs – the complete undergraduate program, the RN to BSN program, and a variety of graduate courses – are now ready for further development.

“We will immediately increase BSN enrollment, enroll BSN students in both the fall and spring semesters, offer RNs the opportunity to complete a BSN degree, consistently offer key graduate courses, and begin interviewing faculty for didactic and clinical courses,” said Karen Clark, PhD, RN, CCRN, interim assistant dean for the USG nursing program. “This commitment provides the mechanism to double our current enrollment.”

Janet D. Allan, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, has worked hard to convince lawmakers that investing in nursing education is the most effective way to alleviate the state's increasingly critical nurse shortage, which is driven by a lack of faculty to teach the many nursing school applicants clambering to enter the nursing profession. Gov. Martin O'Malley allocated $3.4 million for the School of Nursing in the 2009 budget, which will be used to expand undergraduate student enrollment at USG, as well as add more graduate nursing student slots at the School's Baltimore campus.

“We are excited to be growing our enrollment in response to the need for highly skilled and competent nurses in our community and the state,” said Dean Allan. “We are also pleased that the School of Nursing is able to increase its presence at the Universities at Shady Grove, a rich academic environment located near the expanding Baltimore-Washington, D.C. biotech corridor and several health systems where nurses are playing increasingly vital roles.”

For more information about nursing programs at Shady Grove, contact Kathie Dever, academic coordinator, 301-738-6047, or kdever@son.umaryland.edu. For information about all nursing programs offered by the University of Maryland School of Nursing, visit nursing.umaryland.edu.