Aug. 3 Event to Highlight the University’s Distinctive Program, Careers in Nursing
Marian University will mark the official opening of its state-of-the-art learning lab for accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing students at 9 a.m. Aug. 3 in the IBC Bank Building at 3817 Northwest Expressway, Suite 450.
The event will showcase career options in the field, along with 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.”
In its Employment Projections 2019-2029, the Bureau of Labor Statistics listed registered nursing among the top occupations for job growth through 2029. In addition, BLS projects 175,900 openings for RNs nationwide each year through 2029, considering nurse retirements and exits from the field.
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.
Nursing offers a promising career, with an annual mean salary of $66,600, based on the BLS 2020 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates report, “plus the opportunity to contribute to the greater good of our community,” Garrison notes.
Marian University’s program in Oklahoma City has three start dates per year in January, May and August. Qualified students must have a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field.
For more information, visit https://onlineabsn.marian.edu/oklahoma-city/.
About Marian University OKC
Founded in 1936, Marian University is a nonprofit, faith-based learning institution that provides students, no matter their fields of study, with a quality education framed within the context of Franciscan values.
The university welcomes students of all faiths who seek a quality, student-centered educational experience grounded in dignity of the individual; peace and justice; reconciliation; and responsible stewardship. Through these Franciscan values, the university carries out its vision of providing each student with an education that profoundly transforms lives, society, and the world.
Since opening in 1977, the university’s Leighton School of Nursing has a history of excellence in nursing education, thanks to our expert faculty, faith-based values, and clinical partnerships. Health care employers place a high value on Marian University graduates’ expertise and dedication to the nursing workforce.
NOTE: Media are welcome to attend the event, interview program leaders and faculty, and watch students working in the interactive learning lab.