SIOUX CITY | St. Luke's College – UnityPoint Health continues to grow as the region's leader in health care education with the addition of baccalaureate degrees.
Health care professionals now have additional opportunities for advancement with two degree completion programs, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) and a Bachelor of Health Science. The College graduated its first class of BSN students in May of 2015 and the first BHS class in December of 2015.
Designed with the working adult in mind, these programs offer a combination of online and classroom learning with flexible full-time and part-time schedules available. Registered nurses, with active licenses, can transfer coursework from their previous associate degree or diploma programs to St. Luke’s College's Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree completion program. Health care professionals in radiologic technology, respiratory therapy, surgical technology, paramedics and others can transfer their previous coursework toward completion of the Bachelor of Health Science program.
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"The degree completion programs provide an avenue for health care professionals to advance their careers. As the area's only medical center based health sciences college and one of very few in the nation, St. Luke's College is uniquely positioned to provide students with a well-rounded and personalized learning experience," said Michael Stiles, Chancellor of St. Luke's College. "The College has a long history of preparing competent and compassionate health care professionals, and our bachelor's degree programs continue that tradition."
As one of the first bachelor's degree graduates at St. Luke's College, Meghan McClure celebrated the milestone and a career that combines her love of health care and caring for children. McClure is the Health Care Manager at Camp High Hopes in Sioux City, where she oversees the camp's medical center and the health care needs of campers and employees. The camp offers therapeutic recreation programs and respites for youth and adults with disabilities.
"My employer (Camp High Hopes) was supportive of me continuing my education and pursuing my BSN," McClure said.
The flexibility of St. Luke's College's RN-BSN program allowed her to continue working while taking courses.
"The BSN courses at St. Luke's College offered me opportunities to learn about leadership and how to be a good role model and manager," McClure said.
McClure was working as a CNA in 2002 when she applied for the associate degree nursing program at St. Luke's College. When her daughter, Chloe, was diagnosed with complex congenital heart disease shortly after birth, Meghan had to withdraw from the program to care for her daughter through multiple surgeries. McClure returned to St. Luke's College in 2004 to earn her associate degree and again in 2014 to become one of the first students in the new RN-BSN program.
While she admits she had concerns that the demands of the RN-BSN program would prove too stressful given her daughter's ongoing health needs, McClure said those concerns were alleviated by the college's supportive staff and faculty.
"My faculty adviser helped me develop a plan of study that worked with my busy work and family schedules," she said. "I've always loved the personalized attention. At St. Luke's College, students there are not just a number, they are more like family."
St. Luke's College continues to support students such as McClure by growing its health care programs.
“With the increase in baby boomers requiring care and the growing shortage of health care providers, there are increasing demands placed on health care professionals" Stiles said. "We believe there is a large population of working professionals with the desire to continue their education in preparation for the future of health care. Our new degree programs are a positive step in ensuring health care providers, right here in Siouxland, have access to advanced educational opportunities close to home."
St. Luke's College has a 113-year history of educating health care professionals through its associate degree programs in nursing, radiologic technology and respiratory care; its certificate programs in medical laboratory science, phlebotomy and clinical pastoral education; its advanced specialty programs in CT, MRI, sonography, and mammography; and now its bachelor's programs in nursing and health science. The college counts more than 2,800 health care professionals nationwide among its alumni. St. Luke's College is located at 2800 Pierce Street on the campus of UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's. The facility houses state-of-the-art classrooms, practice labs, computer labs, library and more.
For more information on St. Luke’s College, call (712) 279-3149 or visit the website www.stlukescollege.edu.
