Western Governors University sees record nursing school enrollment

Western Governors University sees record nursing school enrollment

Officials with Western Governors University, an accredited provider of undergraduate and graduate online degree programs, have announced that enrollment in the institution’s nursing school topped the 1,000-student mark earlier this month, marking a 100 percent increase over the last year.

"GU’s nursing programs are growing so rapidly because they address the needs of working nurses who want to advance their careers by advancing their education," said Mary Anne Rea-Ramirez, WGU’s director of nursing programs.

"There’s a growing shortage of nurses in the U.S., and WGU is helping to address this shortage by making a quality nursing education more affordable and accessible," she added.

Among the university’s six online nursing programs – which earned accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education in 2009 – are masters degree offerings in nursing leadership and management, nursing education and healthcare management.

The majority of the university’s healthcare-related degree programs are designed for working nurses who are looking to advance in their careers while developing additional skills in patient care, nurse education and nurse leadership.

Labor Department analysts predict that by 2012, a total of 1 million nurses will be needed to care for the aging population, and some 587,000 new nursing jobs will be created nationwide.

By Mark Danson