J U L Y- 2 01 7
Registered Nurse to BAS Nursing
Degree Approved
State approved a Registered Nurse to Bachelor of
Science Degree in Nursing program starting in January
2018 to help meet a critical need for more Registered
Nurses along the Space Coast and in Florida. (Student
Enrollment, Diversity Initiatives, Employee Relations,
Financial Management)
Nursing Highlights:
• The program gives graduates excellent career
opportunities as the local demand for more RNs
keeps growing.
• It also advances the key role the college is playing
in helping educate a new generation of health care
professionals and meet community workforce needs.
• The program is based in the new Health Sciences
Institute on the Melbourne campus with classes
online to make it easy for professionals already in
the workforce to advance their careers.
• State officials approved the program after state
and national studies showed there are thousands
of nursing vacancies in Florida caused by the
retirement of health care professionals.
• Florida’s aging population of Baby Boomers is
soaring, which is another major factor for the
rising demand for nurses.
• The program is supported by Health First, the
largest employer of nurses in Brevard County.
Other community-based health care providers in
Brevard County also support it.
• A 2016 survey by the Florida Center for Nursing
also found that more than 70 percent of hospitals
statewide prefer to hire nurses with a Bachelor’s
Degree in the field.
A U G U S T- 2 01 7
Fall Term Records
Start of the Fall Term saw about 16,000 students
enrolled with records set in Bachelor’s Degree and
online programs as both continue growing in popularity.
(Student Enrollment, Diversity Initiatives, Financial
Management, Trustee Relations, Community
Awareness)
Term Highlights:
• A record 1,900 students enrolled this academic
year in 16 Bachelor’s Degree tracks in Business,
Health Care and Computer Technologies that are
providing them with skills for in-demand jobs.
•
Many students are moving directly into the
programs after receiving their Associate’s Degree
at EFSC while others are in the workforce and
returning to college to advance their careers.
• Increases also continued in online education
with a record 10 Bachelor’s tracks, 5 Associate’s
Degrees, 8 College Certificates and nearly 240
courses available totally online.
• More than 6,600 students were enrolled in online
classes, a 9.7 percent increase from the same time
in 2016.
• The combination of online and on-campus courses is
providing students with convenience and flexibility
to tailor their studies to their busy lives.