HPU Nursing Program Ready to Welcome First Class this Fall
State-of-the-art labs and simulation rooms for HPU’s
nursing program are ready for the first cohort.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 25, 2022 – High Point University’s Department of Nursing has received approval from the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) to begin operating HPU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. The first class of nursing students will be welcomed to HPU this fall during a time when the nation needs more nurses now than ever.
The NCBON establishes the standards for nursing education programs preparing for nursing licensure. To earn approval, nursing programs must complete an extensive approval process. New programs must have a fully developed curriculum and application with evidence of learning resources, available clinical experiences, financial resources, and a dedicated learning space and facilities specific to nursing.
Receiving this approval meets another important milestone for HPU’s new nursing program to welcome its first cohort in August. In February 2021, HPU hired Dr. Racquel Ingram to chair the new department and build the program. HPU’s Department of Nursing also earned approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in October 2021. SACSCOC is the regional body for accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states.
Ingram, RN, continues leading and laying the groundwork for the nursing program. She is an Amy V. Cockcroft Nurse Fellow in Nursing Leadership and brings 25 years of nursing experience, 23 years as a nurse educator with expertise in nursing curriculum and program development, and 19 years of nursing leadership.
“This approval allows HPU to enroll students who value the university’s commitment to the latest technology, state-of-the-art resources, academic support, a learning environment that supports interdisciplinary collaboration and those who simultaneously desire to become extraordinary nurse leaders,” says Ingram.
The finished 50,000-square-foot Department of Nursing complex is located at HPU’s Parkway Commons at 1300 N. University Parkway and is undergoing final preparations for the first students this fall. The complex includes a 16-bed skills lab with 14 diverse simulators modeling an acute care environment, as well as three high-fidelity simulation suites – adult health nursing, maternal-newborn nursing and pediatric nursing.
“These resources, including our health science interdisciplinary collaborations, will facilitate the training of well-prepared 21st century nursing graduates who can confront today’s unpredictable health care challenges,” says Ingram.
The Department of Nursing is part of the Congdon School of Health Sciences and joins several successful health care education programs at HPU, including Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Science in Athletic Training, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, Doctor of Medical Science, Master of Biomedical Science and Master of Health Care Administration. In May 2021, HPU also announced it will establish the School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health, the state’s only private dental school.
“Our innovative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program complements our successful health care education programs and will prepare exceptional and compassionate nurses for the future as it is going to be,” says Dr. Kevin Ford, dean of the Congdon School of Health Sciences. “Students will not only learn technical skills required to become a nurse but will also be equipped with essential life skills that employers in health care industries are looking for. Our graduates will be dedicated to life-long learning and an interdisciplinary approach to positively impact the health of individuals within our local communities and beyond.”
