Olympic College gets preliminary approval for nursing program

OLYMPIA – The State Board for Community & Technical Colleges gave approval on Wednesday for a bachelor’s degree program in nursing at Olympic College.

“This is an excellent investment for our local community and economy,” said Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Kitsap County, who serves on the Senate Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education Committee. “It is a major step in addressing the needs of Kitsap and Mason residents for access to quality training.”

The plan must also gain approval by the state Higher Education Coordinating Board.

If approved, Olympic College will begin offering classes for a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) as early as fall 2007. The college will also need to seek and secure a new accreditation status from the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities. The program would be run in partnership with the University of Washington, Tacoma for the first two years.

“I am pleased that my work on the enabling legislation and efforts to bring UW-Tacoma into the process has paid off,” Rockefeller said. “This is good news for local clinics, hospitals and long-term care providers.”

“The State Board clearly recognizes the need for this program and our desire to meet that need,” Olympic College President David Mitchell said. “By working with UW-Tacoma, we’ve put together a viable plan that will provide for our community and further the advancement of nursing professionals.”

The Legislature in 2005 passed House Bill 1794 authorizing four pilot-degree programs at the state’s community and technical colleges in an effort to expand access to education in certain high-demand fields. Other programs granted preliminary approval on Wednesday include a bachelor’s degree in radiation and imaging sciences at Bellevue Community College, a hospitality management program at South Seattle Community College and an applied science management program at Peninsula College in Port Angeles.

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