Fort Valley State gets approval to start nursing program

FORT VALLEY — Fort Valley State University has received approval from the Georgia Board of Nursing to begin its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

The four-year pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program is now accepting applications, and its first class of nursing students will start in August 2023.

“The nursing program at FVSU prepares students to enter this very much-needed, challenging profession with critical-thinking skills, knowledge, theory, and evidence-based practice to deliver health care for individuals, families and communities,” Fares Howari, dean of the FVSU Colleges of Arts and Sciences, said in a news release. “This is an exciting time to join Fort Valley State University.”

FVSU’s Nursing department will be housed in Meyers Hall. The newly renovated facility will include simulation rooms, nursing skills labs, conference and computer rooms, a student lounge, and office space.

Inaugural Program Director of Nursing Lawanda Greene and a team of four other faculty and staff members will serve as instructors and support staff for the program.

“I am excited that we have reached this milestone and we are ready to empower future scholars to serve,” Greene said. “FVSU’s program will focus on decreasing health disparities in rural and underserved areas.”

The program will aim to address the critical need for nurses in rural Georgia. And with a need for approximately 200,000 more nurses in Georgia, largely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Greene said she hopes FVSU’s School of Nursing can help with the shortage.

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved the program request to offer the four-year BSN degree at FVSU in August 2021. FVSU is the second HBCU in Georgia to offer a nursing program. The nursing program is still pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Potential applicants are encouraged to apply by March 1 at https://fortvalley.tfaforms.net/f/nursingapplication. For more information, visit www.FVSU.edu/Nursing or email [email protected].