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Johan Rodriguez-Soto faced moments of self-doubt while pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of North Georgia (¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ). He also had a front-row view of the stresses bearing down on the profession during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Undeterred, the Gainesville, Georgia, resident pushed through and completed his BSN. Rodriguez-Soto was one of 77 BSN students who graduated Dec. 17 from ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ, and he will soon begin work in the critical care unit at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) in Gainesville, Georgia. The nurses he learned alongside in his clinical placements motivated him with their resilience.

"Even though they had a lot on their plates, they took the time to help teach us. That inspired me," Rodriguez-Soto said.

Meanwhile, Maddie Cauffman, a fellow fall 2022 BSN graduate from Covington, Georgia, said the adversity of the past few years required those entering the field to consider their "why." Her clinical placements in the surgical trauma intensive care unit made that a natural fit as her first job upon graduation.

Health care has been deeply impacted by COVID-19 and continues to face challenges with staffing shortages and increasing patient care needs. It is absolutely vital that our BSN graduates are well-prepared and ready to serve in the current health care environment.

Kimberly Burns

¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ assistant professor of nursing

"The nursing profession is crucial to the delivery of health care to the American public. Health care has been deeply impacted by COVID-19 and continues to face challenges with staffing shortages and increasing patient care needs," Burns said. "It is absolutely vital that our BSN graduates are well-prepared and ready to serve in the current health care environment."

In addition to its traditional four-year BSN, ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ has added an accelerated BSN (ABSN) that can be completed in 15 months thanks to a partnership with Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS). It is open to students with bachelor's or master's degrees in other fields. The initial ABSN cohort is starting in January 2023, with subsequent cohorts beginning each January for another four years. The program is slated to add 280 additional nurses over a five-year period to the northeast Georgia region beyond the nurses ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ already graduates annually.

"The beauty of this accelerated Bachelor of Science Nursing program is that it only takes 15 months to complete if you already have a bachelor's or master's degree in any field. We offer priority clinical placements at NGHS for ABSN students. This allows the students to become a part of our family while getting their nursing degree — and we hope to hire them upon graduation," Melissa Rouse, NGHS executive director of Nursing Excellence, said. "NGHS nurses have great benefits like a yearlong ANCC-accredited nurse residency program for new graduate nurses, tuition reimbursement and scholarships for higher degrees, certification vouchers or reimbursement and career advancement opportunities. In just 15 months, someone with a bachelor's or master's degree can become a nurse — changing their life and touching countless others as well."

¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ also offers a pair of Master of Science in Nursing degrees, one with a concentration in family nurse practitioner and the other with a concentration in nursing education. The university has a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree as well.