Credit: Benjamin J Suter

Beloit College is proud to announce the launch of its new nursing program, developed in partnership with Edgewood College. This distinctive nursing program provides students with a transformative educational experience that combines a foundation in the liberal arts with hands-on nursing training. Beloit College and Edgewood College, in partnership with Beloit Health System, welcome the first cohort of students this May.

“We are thrilled to offer this exciting new program, one that will make a real difference for our students and our community,” said Dr. Eric Boynton, president of Beloit College. “Nursing is a critical field and there is a great need for nurses at this time around the country but especially right here in Beloit. We know that our students will graduate from this program prepared to make an immediate impact as compassionate, skilled healthcare professionals.”

The Beloit-Edgewood nursing program is an accelerated dual-degree program that begins with a three or four-year bachelor of arts or sciences (BA or BS) degree from Beloit College in which students build a strong foundation in the humanities and sciences. Students then complete a 12-month bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program on Beloit’s campus through the partnership with Edgewood College. This accelerated program offers Beloit College students the opportunity to earn two bachelor’s degrees in just over four years. Students with a bachelor’s degree and program prerequisites earned at Beloit, or elsewhere, may also enroll in the 12-month Beloit-Edgewood Nursing program to earn their BSN.

The program features a state-of-the-art Nursing Skills Lab on Beloit’s campus, equipped with the latest technology and equipment generously donated through a partnership with the Beloit Health System. The Nursing Skills Lab allows students to practice their skills in a safe, supportive environment before transitioning to clinical rotations with real patients. Students’ first clinical rotations will be at the Beloit Health System, where nursing students will use equipment they gained familiarity with in the Skills Lab.

Beloit Health System CEO Tim McKevett expresses excitement about the partnership with Beloit College. “This program … is beneficial for the college, the Beloit Health System, and our community,” McKevett says. “We are thrilled to help build the community’s future healthcare workforce with Beloit, one of the nation’s top colleges.”

“This partnership is a game-changer for our students,” says Dr. Rachel Bergstrom, Director of the School of Health Sciences at Beloit College. “Beloit College is already known nationwide for excellence and innovation in teaching biology and chemistry, and integrating that exceptional science education with classes in the arts, humanities, and social sciences across the curriculum. Pairing this liberal arts foundation with Edgewood College’s decades of experience and distinction in training nurses, the Beloit College-Edgewood College nursing program will produce the next generation of exceptional nurses.”

In this unique partnership, Beloit College and Edgewood College each contribute significant portions of the program. Beloit College provides students with prerequisite coursework, undergraduate majors and minors, campus spaces, student housing, campus life community, and pre-nursing community experiences like shadowing at the Beloit Health System and internships, and opportunities to complete a Certified Nursing Assistant through a partnership with Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville. Edgewood College provides their nursing faculty, the BSN curriculum, and critical clinical placement coordination.

“Our innovative partnership is creating healthcare professionals who not only possess exceptional clinical skills, but also the critical thinking, communication, and ethical reasoning abilities that today’s complex healthcare environment demands,” says Quinn Mullikin, Associate Dean for graduate nursing programs at Edgewood College. “We’re incredibly proud to bring our expertise to this collaboration and look forward to witnessing the positive impact these graduates will have on patient care throughout Wisconsin and beyond.”

The first cohort of the nursing program includes eight students, seven of whom are Beloit College students, and one who previously attended UW-Whitewater at Rock County. The program will welcome a new cohort each May, beginning this year, with plans to expand to additional cohorts throughout the year as the program grows.

---

For more information about Beloit College’s new nursing program—including how to join a future cohort—please visit beloit.edu/nursing.