Advancing Nursing Education
New partnership elevates Central Valley pediatric care
By Melissa Tav (’07)
Andrea Carr is a perioperative registered nurse at Valley Children’s Healthcare and has found fulfillment in the role, but she always envisioned advancing her nursing career.
Now Carr will be among 14 students to enroll in the ASN to BSN Pathway Program – a first of its kind partnership with Fresno State and Valley Children’s.
The partnership will allow registered nurses at Valley Children’s, who have an associate’s degree in nursing, the opportunity to advance their nursing education at Fresno State while still working full-time. An added bonus for cohort participants is that the program is fully funded by Valley Children’s, in addition to receiving paid education time to focus on their academics.
“Health care changes daily, so we need to continue to learn,” Carr says. “Being able to do this program without going into even more debt is going to be huge.”
Since 2004, Valley Children’s Healthcare has achieved Magnet designation five times, most recently in 2024. The designation is among the highest nursing credentials attainable and is awarded to health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing practice and patient care, and who exemplify a commitment to advancing nursing education, particularly among BSN-prepared nurses.
The ASN to BSN Pathway Program is one way Valley Children’s is putting its employees and patients first.
“The importance of offering this program to our workforce is that it allows associate’s prepared nurses to start working and get some clinical experience under their belt, but going back for advanced degree attainment,” says Vicky Tilton, chief nursing officer at Valley Children’s Healthcare. “The program focuses on leadership, professional growth and career development for the students; and, in turn, we provide ongoing mentorship and support.”
For Fresno State faculty, this partnership provides a unique opportunity to work directly with incoming students to create the curriculum from scratch utilizing a pediatric focus.
The ASN to BSN Pathway Program is an extension of Fresno State’s already existing RN to BSN program, which typically admits one cohort per semester. An exception will be made in the spring semester to include both its regular cohort along with the Valley Children’s cohort of 14 additional students, bringing its total number of students up to 24.
The Valley Children’s cohort addresses a longstanding issue in the San Joaquin Valley — a shortage of qualified registered nurses who have a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
“Increasing RN to BSN numbers is very important for our region,” said Dr. Janine Spencer, coordinator of the RN to BSN program at Fresno State’s School of Nursing. “An enhanced education greatly benefits hospitals and health care agencies in this area, as these students are likely to stay and serve local after completing their bachelor’s degree in nursing.”
The three-semester RN to BSN program is designed for those who have completed their associate’s degree in nursing and are currently registered nurses. It provides students the opportunity to complete upper division nursing courses that fulfill the bachelor’s of science degree in nursing requirements without having to repeat lower-division nursing coursework.
Courses are online with the exception of one community health clinical. This online medium allows students in the cohort the opportunity to balance their career and family responsibilities with their educational goals.
“A lot of research shows that bachelor’s prepared nurses produce better outcomes in the hospital, including reduced hospital stays and lower rates of readmission,” said Dr. Kara Zografos, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Fresno State. “Our graduating nurses are also better equipped to handle the emerging health care needs of our diverse region.”
The ASN to BSN Pathway Program will begin in the spring of 2025.
– Melissa Tav is a communications specialist in the College of Health and Human Services at Fresno State.
