Nursing graduates have new articulation agreement for Chamberlain College of Nursing

INA, Ill. (July 14, 2015) - Graduates of Rend Lake College’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program will have a new, online opportunity to continue their education starting this fall. RLC has teamed up with Chamberlain College of Nursing to give graduates a seamless transition into a bachelor’s degree program.

Under the articulation agreement signed during Tuesday night’s RLC Board of Trustees meeting, Chamberlain College of Nursing, located in Downers Grove, will accept RLC graduates with an Associate of Science in Nursing degree, provided they successfully complete the agreed upon coursework.

The agreement states RLC graduates will be awarded up to 72 credit hours in transfer, and will have to complete a minimum of 47 credit hours with Chamberlain for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN). To participate, students will be required to submit an application to Chamberlain, have a minimum grade point average of 2.0, and hold a current and active registered nurse license.

Melisa Berendson, RLC Director of Nursing, said this agreement has formed out of RLC student interest in the online program and interest from Chamberlain officials.

“Chamberlain School of Nursing has started reaching out to nursing programs because they’re offering more online options. Representatives from their institution came to RLC and visited with our ADN students in class,” explained Berendson. “The agreement came out of our students’ interest and our desire to work with them.”

“The agreement is based on our new curriculum so our graduates next year will be able to take advantage of the transition, but any ADN graduate from Rend Lake can still apply to be accepted into Chamberlain’s BSN program,” added Berendson. “It’s a great opportunity for our students and graduates to continue on with their higher education.”

Kim Wilkerson, RLC Dean of Allied Health, said the agreement brings Chamberlain into the ranks of several other institutions to give graduates more options for their future education.

“We’re adding Chamberlain to a list of four other universities with whom we have close connections and articulation agreements to benefit our students,” said Wilkerson. “By taking advantage of these, our graduates continue down a path to expand on their skill set and experience more research-based learning. Many local facilities are looking to hire BSN graduates, and the bachelor’s degree will help with any movement into management positions and higher pay for those who take advantage of them.”

According to the U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, ADN registered nurses have a median pay of $65,470 and work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, home health care services, and nursing care facilities. The industry is expecting a faster than average growth - 19 percent or 526,800 new jobs - between 2012 and 2022 due to an emphasis on preventative care and an aging population.

Chamberlain College of Nursing offers several online programs ranging from ADN and BSN programs to graduate certificates and doctorate programs. They are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

For more information about the RLC ADN program, contact Berendson at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1705 or berendsonm@rlc.edu. To learn more about the degree programs at Chamberlain, visit www.chamberlain.edu.