WGU Expands Access to West Virginia, Launches BSN Prelicensure Program in The Mountain State

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (WVDN) – Western Governors University’s (WGU) Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH), now offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Prelicensure) program in West Virginia. The launch of the BSN Prelicensure program provides more access to West Virginians who need an alternative pathway into the nursing industry.

“WGU is knocking down barriers that exist between West Virginians and degree completion by providing remote access to higher education for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to enroll in a traditional college model,” said Dr. Donte Newsom, President of the West Virginia Nurses Association. “This comes at a time when nurses are needed more than ever across the Mountain State, specifically regarding bedside care. We are excited for all the new nurses this degree will create in West Virginia in the years to come.”

Recognizing the state’s nursing shortage, and to facilitate community-based employment, WGU is expanding the Prelicensure program to West Virginia with an aim to add hundreds of new nursing graduates to the Mountain State by the end of 2027. The accredited degree program, which allows students to become a registered nurse while earning a bachelor’s, is one of the only degree paths that adds new nurses to the workforce.

Prospective students in West Virginia may now apply to this program. The university will work to partner with healthcare employers across the state to offer clinical experiences.

“Expanding the BSN Prelicensure program is the next step in our efforts to make high-quality education accessible and attainable in West Virginia. This additional degree path will play a pivotal role in adding more nurses to the workforce, ultimately leading to better patient-outcomes,” said Regional Vice President Alison Bell, representing WGU in the state of West Virginia. “With WGU’s competency-based education (CBE) model and local clinical partners, we can meet West Virginians where they are and offer a pathway to degree completion while creating a pipeline of nurses who will provide quality care in their communities across the Mountain State.”

With no prerequisites for enrollment, this hybrid program is approximately 60 percent online, with the remaining 40 percent as hands-on clinical and lab time. Students undertake clinical training at WGU’s nursing simulation labs and complete multiple clinical rotations in hospitals and community-based settings for each clinical course. The completion of this program prepares students for the registered nurse (R.N.) licensing exam, National Council Licensure Examination ( NCLEX-RN Exam ). Over the last five years, WGU’s first-time NCLEX-RN average pass rate has been 89.21 percent, which is above the national five-year average of all BSN programs as reported by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). The university has also been at or above the national average for more than five years.

About Michael O. Leavitt School of Health (LSH) : The school, named in honor of the former governor of Utah and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, was established in 2006 with the mission to make a difference in the fields of healthcare, nursing, and higher education through competency-based education. The school conferred 5.4 percent of all bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing across the country during the 2021-2022 academic year. According to the Utah Foundation Research Brief , LSH represents more than 170,000 jobs in the healthcare industry and the school produced a whopping 17 percent of the nation’s registered nurses earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2021. The school has also been recognized for its impact by Platte County, Missouri. With more than 100,000 graduates and over 118,000 degrees already conferred by LSH, the school presently serves nearly 25,000 students nationwide. Learn more at Leavitt School of Health (wgu.edu) .

About Western Governors University (WGU): A nonprofit, online university established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, WGU now serves more than 174,000 students nationwide and has awarded over 376,000 degrees to nearly 336,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In less than 30 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News and CNN and in The New York Times. Learn more at wgu.edu and wgu.edu/impact .

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