Lincoln Memorial University's interim President, Jason McConnell, has announced plans for the LMU-Caylor School of Nursing (LMU-CSON) to bring one of its nursing programs to Lexington later this year.
LMU, a small private university based in northeastern Tennessee near the Kentucky border, has received approval from the Kentucky Board of Nursing to move forward with the site at Saint Joseph Hospital. LMU intends to enroll students in its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program with a start date set for August 2024.
“Nurses play vital roles in the health and well-being of communities around the globe. A growing nursing shortage is jeopardizing wellness in communities nationwide,” McConnell said. “The LMU-Caylor School of Nursing has trained competent and compassionate nurses for nearly 50 years. LMU-trained nurses are in demand, and we believe this new site in Lexington will have a lasting impact on the region’s health for generations to come.”
The university plans to initiate renovations at an office building in the Saint Joseph Office Park, located across Harrodsburg Road from the hospital. The office space is undergoing conversion into classrooms, skills laboratories, and simulation rooms for the curriculum. Hands-on clinical experiences will be conducted in collaboration with healthcare partners, including CHI Saint Joseph Health and others.
“At CHI Saint Joseph Health, our patients come first. We have been creative and innovative in our efforts to ensure continued access to high-quality health care, especially for those most vulnerable in central and eastern Kentucky,” said market president Anthony A. Houston. “Recognizing the severe shortage of nurses in Kentucky, we were pleased to work with Lincoln Memorial University to bring more nursing education opportunities to central Kentucky.”
Nursing vacancy rates across Kentucky hospitals currently exceed 20 percent. Melissa Bennett, Chief Operating Officer – Chief Nurse Executive with CHI Saint Joseph Health, emphasized that increasing educational opportunities for future nurses is critical to addressing this shortage.
“Nurses touch the lives of our patients and their families each and every day. They are critical to our mission to provide the highest quality of care to our patients,” she said. “Nursing careers always begin with education, and I am excited that Lincoln Memorial University will be bringing its successful nursing program to central Kentucky.”
Nursing is the largest undergraduate major at LMU, and the LMU-CSON currently offers programs at six sites, including its main campus in Harrogate, Tennessee, in Corbin, Kentucky; Tampa, Florida; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and two sites in Knoxville, Tennessee. Additionally, LMU-CSON offers an RN to BSN program, the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Nursing Administration concentration, and the post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in an online format.
The BSN program comprises 122 credit hours, including 62 general education credit hours and 60 nursing credit hours, and prepares candidates to sit for the exam to become licensed Registered Nurses.