Amid nationwide nursing shortage, iDesign has helped five institutions launch RN-BSN programs geared toward working nurses

DALLAS, April 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneering instructional design firm, iDesign, today announced five partnerships with universities building online programs focused on the unique needs of working nurses pursuing Bachelor's in Nursing (RN-BSN) degrees.

"Private, not-for-profit universities are urgently exploring the application of technology to better reach and prepare the healthcare workforce of the future," said iDesign CEO, Paxton Riter, who was recently named to the Advisory Board of the National League for Nursing Foundation.  "Right now, these institutions are focused on addressing the BSN shortage, but soon they will turn their attention to family nurse practitioner (FNP) programs through RN to MSN offerings."  

In 2011, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report that recommended the nursing profession increase the share of BSN-qualified nurses to 80 percent by the year 2020.  Since its release, enrollment in RN to BSN degree programs has increased 80%, from 77,000 to 139,000 students.  Yet a 2016 survey from the U.S. Census Bureau found that only about half of our country's nurses held a bachelor's degree. The capacity of traditional, campus-based BSN programs has struggled to keep pace.

To meet this challenge, institutions such as Schreiner University, Loma Linda University, and Salve Regina University have all partnered with iDesign to design and launch programs that not only expand access, but enhance continuing education and strengthen skill development through the application of advanced online, and blended learning methodologies.