USCA celebrates 25 years of Bachelor of Science Nursing program

For more than a quarter of a century, USCA has offered a four-year nursing degree, preparing thousands of knowledgeable and compassionate graduates ready to enter the healthcare workforce.

“Celebrating the 25th anniversary of our Bachelor of Science Nursing program is both a deeply personal and professionally meaningful milestone,” said Dr. Katie Chargualaf, dean of the School of Nursing.

“It’s a testament to the unwavering commitment of our faculty, the excellence of our students and the strength of our community partnerships.”

Historical Context

In the last 25 years, the Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program has grown in size and scope.

Before the bachelor’s program started, the university offered a two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN) program.  After offering the ADN program for more than three decades, USCA decided to expand the program in response to the profession’s growing demand for four-year graduates.

The BSN program started one year after the dedication of the Alan B. Miller Nursing Building.  The first bachelor’s students entered the program in the fall 2000 semester.  Since then, the building has been outfitted with a state-of-the-art high-fidelity simulation lab, which provide immersive, hands-on experiences that enhance critical thinking, clinical decision-making, and confidence in a safe, controlled environment.

The current program includes 235 students accepted into the program and another 215 pre-nursing students.  Together, they represent approximately 13 percent of the entire student population on campus.  In the beginning, there were only a handful of faculty members.  Now, there are 18 full-time and almost 30 clinical adjunct faculty. 

Accessible Programs

USCA seeks to provide an exceptional accessible education. 

For years, Aiken Regional Medical Centers’ Hospital Auxiliary has helped defray the costs of nursing students’ tuition and fees.  To date, the auxiliary has contributed almost $400,000 in scholarships.

Currently, the annual scholarships awarded by the auxiliary is supporting seven students.  The Hospital Auxiliary also supports students by providing funds for unanticipated costs for nursing students.

“Our volunteers see daily the important work that nurses do in caring for patients at Aiken Regional,” said Allen Radcliffe, a member of the Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Committee.

“Nurses are the health care professionals with the most direct daily care of patients; therefore, it is important that we help educate future nurses.”

Radcliffe said auxiliary scholarships are limited to students who are residents of Aiken, Barnwell and Edgefield Counties to encourage local students to become nurses and stay in these areas after graduation.

Meeting Nursing Needs of the Region

Nationally, there’s a shortage of nurses.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the employment of registered nurses will grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034 and that approximately 189,000 openings for registered nurses are expected each year.  The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce data indicates an increasing demand for nurses across the state.

One way the USCA School of Nursing is meeting local nursing needs is by partnering with USC Sumter and USC Union. Memoranda of understanding were signed in 2018 with these institutions, allowing students in those areas to achieve their BSN through USCA while studying on those campuses.  The first cohort under these agreements were admitted in fall 2021.  Since then, the School of Nursing has graduated three cohorts on both campuses, with all graduates passing the NCLEX the first time they took it.

The classroom requirements, coupled with real-world experiences in area healthcare facilities, prepare USCA BSN graduates for their careers in nursing.  The School of Nursing boasts a higher-than-state and national first time NCLEX pass rate: 95 percent, year-to-date.  During the third quarter of this year, the first-time pass rate for USCA nursing graduates was 100 percent.  Additionally, nearly 100 percent of BSN graduates have jobs before they ever receive their diplomas.

“Our consistently high NCLEX pass rates, and the reputation of our graduates as competent, confident, and compassionate nurses speak volumes about the quality of education we provide,” Chargualaf said.

To meet ongoing demand for nurses in South Carolina and beyond, the USCA School of Nursing seeks to expand learning spaces including classrooms, skills and health assessment labs, and the high-fidelity simulation labs.

“As dean, I am incredibly proud to be part of a legacy that not only transforms lives but also shapes the future of healthcare in South Carolina and beyond,” said Chargualaf.

Relevant Curriculum

The curriculum includes rigorous classroom instruction, complemented by internships and hands-on experiences in an array of healthcare environments.

Students start their clinical experiences in the first semester of the nursing program.  Before they ever start working with patients in healthcare settings, the School of Nursing provides realistic training in laboratories on campus.

Private donors throughout the community have invested in the USCA nursing program, making equipment and enriching experiences possible. 

For example, The Hilare and Harry Inder Women and Children’s Health Simulation Lab and the John “Coach” and Patty Abshire Adult Health Simulation Lab include lifelike, computerized patient simulators designed to closely mimic real human physiology and dynamically react to nursing care provided by students in various simulated settings like the hospital, physician’s offices, or the community.

Real-world equipment augments the learning experience and helps students to increase their comfort and confidence providing patient care.  In the Abshire lab students care for adult patients while in the Inder lab they care for pediatric and obstetrical patients. In high fidelity simulation the emphasis is on clinical judgment and decision making. Students are afforded opportunities to make critical decisions and perform patient care, then observe the outcomes of their interventions.

“With the support from generous donors, we have been able to expand the simulation program,” said Dr. Chargualaf, dean of the school of nursing. 

“We want to continue to grow that program so we can continue to prepare graduates who are knowledgeable, confident, and equipped to deliver exceptional, patient-centered care across diverse healthcare settings.”

Recruiting and Retention

To date, the School of Nursing has graduated more than 1,400 bachelor students, and they want more.  Chargualaf and her team are also exploring other ways to recruit and retain students.

The School of Nursing implemented the Direct Admission Pathway program this fall.  Through this initiative, the SON connected with high school guidance counselors in Aiken and surrounding counties offering assistance with advisement for high school students taking dual enrollment courses.

“We wanted to be sure that students interested in the USCA nursing program were taking courses that would fulfill program requirements,” Chargualaf said.

The Direct Admission Pathway program secures high school students a seat in the BSN program before they ever graduate high school.  Chargualaf says she’s already seen the benefits of this effort as freshmen applications to the program are rising.

Once on campus, nursing faculty work closely with students to ensure successful completion of the program.

In spring 2024, the SON implemented the Peer Ambassador for Student Success (PASS) program.  Through this effort, students provide academic support to their peers in some of the more challenging nursing courses offered in the BSN program. Since the inception of the program, academic outcomes have progressively strengthened.

Student Success

“The nursing program really focused on skills that I use every day,” said Yassia Gillings, USCA ’24 who works at the Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Doctors Hospital in Augusta.

“The program is a real asset to our community. Augusta has a large medical network, and this program gives people the opportunity to take what they’ve learned in school and bring it to life in their professional careers. Learning to anticipate what a patient may need — that’s one of the biggest lessons I took from the program.”

Continue Educating, Innovating, Inspiring

Chargualaf notes that the School of Nursing’s 25-year journey is one of growth, innovation, and impact. Historically, U.S. News and World Report ranks the USCA School of Nursing among the best.  The current ranking is 135 throughout the nation.

Looking ahead, though, Chargualaf continues to explore ways to prepare graduates for the demands of the profession.  For example, she and her faculty are starting to develop graduate programs. 

Through an evolving curriculum, state-of-the-art technology and a culture of excellence, the program has become a regional leader in nursing education. 

“I’m most proud of our faculty’s dedication to student success and of our graduates who meet the demands of our rigorous program with determination and perseverance,” Chargualaf said.

“This anniversary is a celebration of progress, purpose, and the people who made it all possible.”

For more information, contact USCA Marketing & Communication at news@usca.edu.