ORANGEBURG, S.C. — In the wake of the pandemic, Claflin University is answering the call to action for more healthcare workers.
They are doing it by creating additions to their educational offerings.
The university is in the process of expanding their nursing program to include a Masters of Science degree.
Last year, the RN to Bachelor of Science program received national accreditation and the school is looking to expand those efforts and give students a wider skill set to become health professional leaders, which they hope will help with the shortage in the tri-state area.
"The Masters of Science degree in nursing provides that additional education that nurses need to render primary care and they’re able to care for the patients in the community where they live," says Dr. Shannon Smith, chair of the Department of Nursing at Claflin University. "When you have such a disparity in access to healthcare for people who live out in poor communities and certain rural areas we need advance practice nurses to help provide care so that we can help eliminate certain health disparities that exist so that everyone has access to care."
The program will be able to be 100% online and the university hopes to do the roll out sometime in the next academic year.