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Middlesex County College and Raritan Bay Medical Center have developed a new associate degree nursing program that will admit 110 prospective nurses each year. The students will take classes at Middlesex and participate in clinical experiences at the medical center. The first class will be admitted in the fall of 2007. The degree will be from Middlesex County College; graduates will receive their nursing pin from Raritan Bay. This new associate degree program will replace the Charles E. Gregory diploma program at Raritan Bay, which takes three years to complete, as well as a smaller program the College is running. "This is an extremely exciting development for us," said Middlesex President Dr. Joann La Perla-Morales. "It is of great benefit to all. First, the program can be completed in two years. Second, the graduates will be receiving an associate's degree, which is an advantage as they move up the career ladder." Dr. La Perla-Morales said the College anticipated developing articulation agreements with four-year colleges and universities with Bachelor's in Nursing programs so that Middlesex graduates could transfer into those programs as juniors. At its regular meeting Thursday, October 5, the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders passed a resolution to officially offer its support for the partnership. Freeholder Director David Crabiel praised the partnership. "With the encouragement of Freeholder John Pulomena, Middlesex County College has aggressively pursued this relationship with Raritan Bay Medical Center to enhance its nursing program," he said. "The educational opportunities at Middlesex County College will ensure that qualified, talented students will meet the ever-increasing healthcare needs of our area residents. Middlesex County College will continue to be on the leading edge and play a major role in providing healthcare resources for the healthcare industry. Our goal is for our County College to become the premiere Nursing and Health Education facility in New Jersey." Freeholder John Pulomena, chairman of the County's Public Health and Education Committee and Freeholder liaison to Middlesex County College, said the collaboration is important for the College as well as the residents of the County. "The agreement with Raritan Bay Medical Center falls in line with the Freeholder Board's commitment to offer quality, cost-efficient programs to our County residents," he said. "Given the widely reported nationwide nursing shortage, the agreement announced today also demonstrates the Freeholders' responsiveness to the needs of our residents. Middlesex County College offers an impressive catalog of high quality programs. This new partnership with Raritan Bay Medical Center will bring our nursing program to the forefront of health care education in the state." The students will complete 35 credits in general education and science taught by Middlesex faculty, and 35 credits in nursing taught by the Raritan Bay faculty. Michelle L. Foley, RN, director of nursing education at Raritan Bay who will be director of the new program, said the new nursing curriculum will include basics of nursing; medical-surgical nursing; a combination of obstetrics/pediatrics/psychiatrics; and then advanced medical-surgical, with an emphasis on critical care and nursing leadership and management. Ms. Foley is also president of the National League for Nursing. One distinct advantage is that the future nurses will be receiving their clinical experiences at Raritan Bay, which is a Magnet hospital. The Magnet designation, awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for Nursing Excellence, is granted to less than 3 percent of hospitals in the nation. Raritan Bay has facilities in Old Bridge and Perth Amboy. Michael D'Agnes, president and chief executive officer of Raritan Bay Medical Center, said the partnership will benefit health care in the region. "We look forward to this new collaboration with Middlesex County College as it will provide more students with the vital, hands-on clinical experience that only a hospital like Raritan Bay Medical Center, one that is nationally recognized for nursing excellence, can give," he said. Middlesex County College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and Charles E. Gregory is accredited by the National League for Nursing. The new program will apply for National League accreditation, which can be granted one year after the first class graduates. Dr. Karen Hays, vice president for academic and student affairs at Middlesex, said there will be a transition period as nursing students in the current programs progress. Students who are currently in the program will finish their education in their respective schools. Therefore, the current Middlesex program will not end until the spring of 2008 and the Charles E. Gregory program will not be finished until the spring of 2009. "We will admit 70 students into the new program for the fall of '07, and then the full class of 110 for the fall of 2008 and beyond," she said. Middlesex and Raritan Bay have had a cooperative relationship for years. The College hosts the medical center's nursing students as they take general education and science courses at Middlesex while attending the Charles E. Gregory Nursing School. Ms. Foley said she expects to retain the faculty now at the Gregory nursing program. "This is an excellent group of faculty," she said. "We have published authors, award-winners for excellence, and specialists who present at national conferences." Nursing is an extremely popular vocation. The College currently has more than 600 students interested in the nursing program. It is also a field that is in high demand. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs for RNs will grow 23 percent by 2008, faster than average for all other occupations. By the year 2020, it is projected that there will be a nursing shortage of 800,000.
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Middlesex County Collegewww.middlesexcc.edu
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