South University Holds Dedication Ceremony, Announces Addition Of Nursing Program

South University, which opened in October of 2009 in West Broad Village, held a dedication ceremony Friday for the Short Pump location and celebrated the addition of a new nursing program, for which the university will begin accepting students for the Fall 2010 semester. South University’s program will be the third Bachelor of Science in […]

August 3, 2010; 9:50 AM • by Downtown Short Pump Staff

South University, which opened in October of 2009 in West Broad Village, held a dedication ceremony Friday for the Short Pump location and celebrated the addition of a new nursing program, for which the university will begin accepting students for the Fall 2010 semester.

South University’s program will be the third Bachelor of Science in Nursing program available in Richmond.

“Within 10 years, many experts believe Virginia will experience a shortage of registered nurses,” said Troy Ralston, president of the Short Pump location. “Our aim is to alleviate that shortage. We have created a wonderful learning environment that features a nursing lab where our students will work and learn on human patient simulators and participate in real-life scenarios, such as cardiac arrest and stroke.”

According to the Department of Health Professionals Healthcare Workforce Data Center, there will be a shortage of 1,500 physicians and 22,600 registered nurses in Virginia by 2020. Similarly, the Virginia Partnership for Nursing expects Virginia to see a 36 percent deficit in the number of nurses required by healthcare employers.

“South University’s nursing program will address this growing need, which is driven in large part by a 43 percent retirement rate for current nurses and the fact that our population of older adults is expected to grow at twice the national average,” said Sharon Broscious, RN, DSN, South University-Richmond’s program director for nursing.

At the dedication event, Virginia Secretary of Education Gerard Robinson and Louise Ware, the former state director and current field representative for Senator Jim Webb, joined South University Chancellor John T. South III in making remarks. The event, themed “Navigating the Future,” also featured the creation of a human map of Virginia and campus tours of South University’s 30,000-square foot campus.

South University opened for classes in October 2009 with an enrollment of nearly 100 students, and about 225 students currently are enrolled in summer classes. All students are enrolled in degree-seeking programs, with bachelor’s degree programs available in Nursing, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Healthcare Management, Legal Studies, Health Sciences and Psychology. Graduate programs include a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling and Master of Business Administration.

August 3, 2010 9:50 AM 0