OSF Healthcare offers up new opportunities for nursing students

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — During the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals and healthcare systems struggled due to a surge of patients and a shortage of nurses. OSF Healthcare is aiming to help bolster their ranks with their College of Nursing in Peoria.
Austin Blair, the school's dean of admissions and marketing, visited WMBD This Morning to talk about the college. He said they've been making major strides in recent years.
'This fall, we're projected to be over 700 students, which is our largest enrollment,' he said.
The college is also introducing a new program to help licensed practical nurses become a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Blair explained this will help open more opportunities for professionals.
'We offer a transitional course as well with that,' he said. 'So they get some of their current experience utilized to be able to go back to school and jump right in to our BSN curriculum.
OSF Healthcare is also working to build relationships with central Illinois high schools. According to Blair, any high school senior can reserve a spot at the college for up to two years. And with dual credit opportunities, students can graduate with a their BSN in less than four years.
Blair also said they offer many resources for scholarships and student aid. Any OSF employee can get their entire tuition covered.
'We offer a lot of endowed scholarships, we offer a lot of tuition assistance, as well as opportunities to work within the college,' he said.
For more details on the College of Nursing, you can visit their website at osfhealthcare.org.
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