5 days ago
Grand Canyon University, Lovelace partner on accelerated nursing program in Albuquerque
Jun. 3—Brandy Vandermolen loved the excitement and constant change of working in emergency medical services for seven years. Now, she wants to be on stable ground as a hospital nurse.
Vandermolen, who lives in the Albuquerque area, will graduate from Grand Canyon University's new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program in April to achieve this goal.
The university's Albuquerque campus officially launched its program on Tuesday — an innovative partnership between the school and Lovelace Health System, which offers students hands-on learning through in-person clinical settings.
The program, a 16-month curriculum that also includes online learning, directly addresses New Mexico's nursing shortage by putting professionals in the field faster.
Stacey Fort, Lovelace director of education, said there are about 7,000 nursing jobs posted in New Mexico alone. Separately, the state could lose 5,140 nurses over the next 10 years, according to a 2024 Think New Mexico report.
"We've had a nursing shortage for decades, but COVID really changed the whole scene of nursing staffing," Fort said. "New Mexico only has 16,000 practicing nurses. We need more than that."
Danielle Edwards, GCU executive director of nursing services, said the program enrolls cohorts every spring, summer and fall semester. The university has similar setups across the country, including one in St. Louis, Missouri, that launched last year. She said each group has a maximum capacity of 48, adding that the goal is to keep these students in New Mexico upon graduation.
The 16-month curriculum includes online coursework, in-person clinicals and immersive skills labs at GCU's Albuquerque campus, which received upgrades as part of its partnership with Lovelace.
The GCU facility houses a student lounge, an immersive simulation suite, two skills labs and two classrooms. Edwards said construction began last August and was completed in December, ready to aid the first cohort of Albuquerque students who started classes in January, including Vandermolen.
The collaboration also allows students to complete clinicals at Lovelace sites, giving them real-world experience and helping foster professional relationships with instructors. Fort said the partnership also provides Lovelace's staff with opportunities to grow by becoming GCU adjunct faculty.
"Our instructors were nurses, so they bring a wealth of information," Vandermolen said. "Partnering with Lovelace and getting to go on their sites and meet the nurses that are working currently, talking with them and their experiences, and the things that they find important for us to know to implement in our care is really important."