Grand Canyon University (GCU) and St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center (SJHMC) have announced the creation of the GCU College of Nursing at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center as an innovative solution to addressing Arizona's critical shortage of registered professional nurses. "This unique partnership brings together the best of two committed faith-based institutions; one of higher learning and one of healthcare service to the community," said Patty White, St. Joseph's Chief Operating Officer.

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The College of Nursing at St. Joseph's  features key elements of integration between the university and hospital. Nursing students are taught by expert, graduate-level faculty from both Grand Canyon and St. Joseph's, and a wide span of clinical training is provided at the hospital and its ancillary facilities (see article in NurseWeek ). A joint committee oversees curricular issues and program quality. Students are taught and study at both the GCU campus and in classrooms on the St. Joseph's campus. Plans exist to construct a new building at St. Joseph's for the College of Nursing within the next two years.

While the intense demand for registered nurses has created a number of joint approaches between schools of nursing and hospitals, the GCU/SJHMC partnership is the sole model of true integration. As stated by the Dean of the College of Nursing, Dr. Fran Roberts, "Our integrated program brings together the best of the old diploma nursing education programs, which were housed in and run by hospitals, and the highest academic standards of baccalaureate, university-based education." A minimum of sixty new baccalaureate students will be admitted to the College of Nursing at Grand Canyon University in 2005. This innovative partnership will provide 120 new RNs to Arizona by 2007.

For information on the program call 1-800-486-9917.

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