UNMC College of Nursing Lincoln Division announces twice-yearly admissions

Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, dean of the UNMC College of Nursing

The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing Lincoln Division, located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, now offers twice-a-year admission to its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Applications now are being accepted for the spring semester of 2025.

Lepaine Sharp-McHenry, DNP, dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, said the additional admissions date will help to address the nursing shortage across the state. The 2022 Nebraska Center of Nursing’s Biennial Report said Nebraska had 2,600 fewer nurses compared to 2019. Nine counties were without a registered nurse or advanced practice registered nurse, the report said.

“The Nebraska Center of Nursing Excellence projects a shortage of 5,436 new nurses by 2025,” said Dr. Sharp-McHenry. “We are taking a proactive move to increase our enrollments by moving to twice-a-year admissions.

“Our goal is to make an impact in rural Nebraska by bolstering the nursing workforce.”

Interim Lincoln Division Assistant Dean Myra Schmaderer, PhD, said that adding a January class in the college’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program will allow students to begin their nursing education as soon as their prerequisites are met. This will allow more future nurses into practice earlier, Schmaderer said, and will lead to nursing graduates in May and December each year.

“Our clinical partners across the state have been asking for this for a long time,” Dr. Schmaderer said. “There are many job opportunities for nurses, and expanding our admissions allows us to provide more trained nurses who can begin meeting the workforce needs across Nebraska.”

Electronic application for admission to the first January cohort at the UNMC College of Nursing Lincoln Division will open soon. More information on the BSN admission requirements can be found by contacting student services at the Lincoln Division.