BRYAN, Texas — The Aggie Student-Centered Express Nursing Degree (ASCEND) program is offering a new and more affordable path to a bachelor's degree in nursing.
"We know that students are wanting to get into these high-demand programs at a bachelor's level and specifically at Texas A&M," Blinn Nursing Program Director Karla Ross said. "Having that partnership already that existing partnership already, we wanted students to understand that we have a great associate degree nursing program here."
Students will be able to complete an associate's degree from Blinn, and in just a few semesters, complete a bachelor's from Texas A&M while being co-enrolled in both schools.
"Dr. Burns and I have been working to develop a curriculum where students could utilize the summer months they have off from their associate's degree nursing program and still continue to take courses and work towards getting their bachelor's degree," Ross said.
The ASCEND program is set to go a long way, both locally and regionally in battling the growing healthcare shortage that has only been amplified since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For A&M, it's going to double the enrollment, but that's not really what it's about for us," RN to BSN Program Coordinator Rebecca Burns said. "It's about we're going to produce double the amount of nurses, in record time, we're going to save them money, and they're going to reach that goal when they thought they probably couldn't."
In 2022 and 2023, NursingProcess.Org ranked Blinn the number two nursing program in the Southwestern U.S. Region based on its affordability, reputation, and academic quality.