Can a degree in biology lead to a career in nursing?
As the health care industry continues to grow and the population of retiring nurses continues to rise, so does the need for well-trained nursing professionals entering the job field. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing projects that, in order to fill this national shortage, we will need 1.09 million new nurses entering the field by 2024.
This shortage is felt on the state level as well, with a study by the Missouri Hospital Association reporting that almost 16 percent of nursing positions in Missouri hospitals are currently vacant. Fulton State Hospital alone has a current nurse vacancy rate of over 30 percent.
In order to address this shortage, William Woods University is now offering a pre-nursing concentration for bachelors in biology students, in addition to their existing pre-veterinary and pre-medicine concentrations.
This is an opportunity for biology majors interested in getting a taste for the nursing field and obtaining the prerequisite coursework needed for admission to and success in their future nursing degree program of choice.
In addition to their core biology major courses, pre-nursing biology students will take courses such as microbiology, human anatomy/physiology, biomedical ethics, introduction to medical terminology and others. Students in this concentration will study under dedicated faculty with extensive experience in their field, including William Woods University’s new director of nursing, Dr. Lisa Sitler. Sitler has more than 20 years of nursing and health care teaching experience, serving in both hospital and academic settings.
In addition to the job security that comes with pursuing a career in high-demand, other benefits to working in the field of nursing include a flexible schedule, career mobility, a comfortable salary, and the opportunity to travel and work in a wide range of settings.
Prospective bachelors in biology students can learn more about the pre-nursing concentration here, or by contacting their advisor for more information.