Pacific Lutheran University launching accelerated program to get more nurses working

LYNNWOOD, Wash. - A private university is working to get more nurses on the front lines of care faster by launching an accelerated nursing program, starting this fall.

The program will be at a building currently under construction in Lynnwood and will mirror the traditional BSN courses offered at the Tacoma campus, but will be year-round.

One student accepted into the first cohort earned a college degree and has been working in another field, but says she discovered her passion for nursing through a personal experience.

“I actually was working in digital marketing for a few years,” Neetu Sangha stated.

But she says it was her dad's sudden medical diagnosis and countless doctor's appointments to follow that pushed her career path in a new direction.

“My dad was diagnosed with progressive super nuclear palsy, which is a Parkinsonian light condition, it’s very rare,” she explained. “I got to know the staff at the various hospitals and clinics we were visiting and I realized I really wanted to work in healthcare.”

She’s wrapping up a master’s degree program in public health and was just accepted into Pacific Lutheran University’s new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

“[It’s] for people who either have a degree in another field or have significant numbers of credits toward a bachelor’s degree, it’s a way they can get their degree sooner,” PLU School of Nursing Dean Dr. Barbara Habermann added.

The private liberal arts university is launching the 16-month BSN program this fall to help address Washington state’s severe nursing shortage boosted by retirements, covid burnout and other factors.

“We have about 6,000 registered nurse vacancies right now,” she said. “Without having some program growth and schools being able to increase their enrollment, it will never be able to able to meet that demand.”

There are similar programs, like at the University of Washington, but this one will be based in Lynnwood where PLU stresses there’s a specific need to get more nurses in North King and Snohomish counties.

“[We] realized that there really wasn’t- once you got north of Seattle- there really wasn’t an opportunity to get a bachelor’s of science in a very efficient way,” she said.

It’s the region where Sangha says she hopes to eventually work as a public health nurse.

“ to improve access to health services in underserved communities,” Sangha said.

PLU Is still accepting applicants for its initial cohort of 24 students this fall. They hope to increase enrollment to 140 students in about two years. They are also hiring instructional staff.