Cecil College graduates first accelerated nursing class

NORTH EAST — Cecil College has announced the graduation of its first accelerated nursing school class.

This is a 12-month program of virtual and in-person classes coupled with hands-on clinical experience for students that already hold an associate’s or bachelor’s degree or enough educational credits to meet the pre-requisites of the rigorous program.

Richard Haubert, Public Relations Coordinator for the college, said this accelerated program is more than a full time job, with 40 hours per week of clinical work plus classroom study.

Recently, that first class was officially given the registered nurse pin, marking the completion of a curriculum that can typically take several years. Their nursing certification allows them to become licensed to serve as nurses in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

“Our nursing graduates continue to distinguish our program with their accomplishments as clinicians and educators and through contributions to nursing research. We are honored to educate and train future nurses for our community,” said Nancy Norman-Marzella, Cecil College’s Dean of Health, Human and Business Sciences.

Accredited by the Maryland Board of Nursing and the Accreditation for Education in Nursing, the program is considered a “timely response” to a report from the US Department of Health and Human Services warning of a national shortfall of 78,000 RNs by 2025.

“Cecil College’s initiative to accelerate the training of new nurses is a strategic move to mitigate this issue and support the region’s needs for nursing,” the college stated Tuesday.