LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Interim President Jason McConnell announced plans for the LMU-Caylor School of Nursing (LMU-CSON) to bring one of its proven nursing programs to Lexington later this year.
LMU received the Kentucky Board of Nursing approval to move forward with the site at Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington. LMU plans to enroll students in its bachelor of science in nursing program for an August 2024 start date. LMU as of fall 2023 had 1,605 undergraduate and 4,200 graduate and professional students.. The main campus is located in Harrogate, Tennessee.
“Nurses play vital roles in the health and well-being of communities around the globe. A mounting nursing shortage is jeopardizing wellness in communities nationwide,” McConnell said. “The LMU-Caylor School of Nursing has trained competent and compassionate nurses for nearly 50 years. LMU-trained nurses are in demand, and we believe this new site in Lexington will make an impact of the region’s health for generations to come.”
The university will soon start renovations at an office building in the Saint Joseph Office Park across Harrodsburg Road from the hospital. The office space is being converted to classrooms, skills laboratories and simulation rooms for the didactic portions of the curriculum. Hands-on clinical experiences will take place in conjunction with health care partners including CHI Saint Joseph Health and others.
“At CHI Saint Joseph Health, our patients come first. We have been creative and innovative in our efforts to continue to ensure access to high-quality health care, especially to those most vulnerable in central and eastern Kentucky,” said Anthony A. Houston, Ed.D., FACHE, market president. “Recognizing the severe shortage of nurses that continues to plague Kentucky, we were pleased to work with Lincoln Memorial University to bring more nursing education opportunities to central Kentucky.”
Nursing vacancy rates across Kentucky hospitals hover above 20%. Melissa Bennett, COO/chief nurse executive, CHI Saint Joseph Health, said increasing the educational opportunities for future nurses is critical to addressing that shortage.
“Nurses touch the lives of our patients and their families each and every day. They are critical to our mission to provide the highest quality of care to our patients,” Bennett said. “Nursing careers always begin with education, and I am excited that Lincoln Memorial University will be bringing its successful nursing program to central Kentucky.”
The BSN program prepares candidates to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam to become licensed Registered Nurses (RN) and it is comprised of 122 credit hours, including 62 general education credit hours and 60 nursing credit hours. Once the general education prerequisites are completed, the LMU BSN program can be completed on an accelerated path in 16 months.
Nursing is the largest undergraduate major at LMU and the LMU-CSON currently offers programming at six sites, including the LMU main campus in Harrogate, Tennessee; LMU-Corbin in Corbin, Ky.; LMU-Tampa in Tampa, Florida; LMU-Chattanooga in Chattanooga, Tennessee; and two sites in Knoxville, Tennessee – LMU-Cedar Bluff and the LMU Tower. Additionally, LMU-CSON offers an RN to BSN program, the master of Science in nursing (MSN) nursing administration concentration, and the post-master’s doctor of nursing practice (DNP) in a totally online format.
Financial assistance, including federal, state and institutional aid as well as donor-funded scholarships and employer grants, are available to those who qualify. Contact Lexington Site Coordinator and Coordinator of Nursing Recruitment and Advising Ethan Fultz ([email protected]) for more information on how to enroll.
The CSON offers a variety of degree options to meet nurses’ career goals including a licensed practical nurse to associate of science in nursing (ASN); the associate of science in nursing (ASN); the bachelor of science in nursing (BSN); the registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing (RN-BSN); the master of science in nursing (MSN) with concentrations including the family nurse practitioner, nursing administration and family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner; a post bachelor’s doctor of nursing practice (DNP) nurse anesthesia program and the post-masters DNP.
CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in CHI Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide.
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