According to the North Carolina Board of Nursing, only about 35 percent of North Carolina’s 106,000 licensed nurses have obtained a bachelor’s degree. Winston-Salem State University, the historically Black educational institution in North Carolina, has announced the establishment of an online competency-based education program for registered nurses to earn their bachelor’s degrees. The program is the first of its kind in the state of North Carolina.
“This program allows nurses to study at their own pace,” said Peggy Valentine, dean of the School of Health Sciences at Winston Salem State University. “An ambitious student could potentially complete the program in less than a year. It is a win-win for the university, hospital systems and health providers across the state.”
Michelle Soler, director of competency-based education and assessment for the University of North Carolina System, explains that “competency-based degree program design and delivery organizes a student’s learning around content proficiency instead of time spent in the classroom. Designing assessments for this Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree will demonstrate to employers that potential hires not only took a course, but demonstrated mastery of key skills and learning outcomes.”
