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UCC Nursing fast track Practical Nursing and BSN Program opening enrollment for Fall 2025

Written by on January 29, 2025

ROSEBURG, Ore., — Umpqua Community College has introduced a Practical Nursing (PN) certificate program that leads to licensure within its Allied Health department. This addition creates more opportunities within the nursing pathway, beginning with the Nursing Assistant (NA) program, progressing to the PN program, and advancing through UCC’s Registered Nursing (RN) program to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. All programs are offered through UCC and available without students needing to leave the community. Additionally, there’s an option to get started while enrolled at Roseburg High School through the dual enrollment program.

UCC is creating many more options for students to stay in the community and participate in bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. UCC maintains an agreement in which students can dually enroll in the Oregon Health Science University BSN program. After they graduate from UCC, they are already accepted at OHSU to complete their bachelor’s degrees.

“These new options to graduate more nurses and have them start work more quickly in the community,” Chelsea Gillespie-Towne, executive director of the UCC nursing program said. “We have always had the BSN opportunity, but this will provide a fast track for students to enroll in both programs and complete their bachelor’s degree. These options allow students to balance work and life and still graduate with a bachelor’s degree, enabling them to excel in the local workforce.”

“Our students and the community benefit greatly from these expanded programs and options. This academic pathway establishes a pipeline to address the local shortage of nurses as well as opening opportunities for family-supporting wage careers in our region,” UCC President, Rachel Pokrandt said. “We are appreciative of our healthcare partners who provide practical experience to our students, and for additional certifications that will increase the prestige of our program.”

“We depend on UCC graduates, and these expanded certificate programs will help us maintain full staffing at our hospital and at local healthcare facilities that serve our community,” Russell Woolley, CEO of CHI Mercy Health said. “And the new certification is a testament to how UCC goes above and beyond the standard program requirements to ensure the nursing program is the best in the state.”

The job placement rate for registered nurses from the latest class of UCC graduates in 2024 was 100%, of which 40 graduates reported acceptance of employment as registered nurses upon successful completion of the registered nursing licensure exam. UCC’s exam pass rate has consistently been, on average, over 90% for the past six years.

Most students fill many of the local job openings in Douglas County, including more than half of the 2024 cohort securing employment at Mercy Hospital. UCC accepts 64 students per cohort, and on average, there are 61 job openings for registered nurses per year in Douglas County, according to Lightcast labor market statistics. The average salary for a registered nurse in Douglas County is $50 per hour, depending on experience.

Enrollment is open and applications for the fall term nursing program close Feb. 28.


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