The Georgia Board of Nursing granted initial approval for the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program at Savannah Technical College. The first cohort of 24 students will begin in January 2025.

"We are thrilled to receive initial approval for our Associate of Science in Nursing program from the Georgia Board of Nursing," said STC President Dr. Ryan Foley. "With this program, Savannah Tech will expand access to high-quality nursing education in Coastal Georgia, preparing students to step into critical roles in healthcare."

The College will host this program at its Effingham Campus in a new Nursing/Science lab addition. The ASN program will have a competitive selection process, which will include requirements of specific core courses, entrance exam and other criteria. Priority selection will be given to in-state students as well as those with a Georgia military affiliation. The competitive selection application is now open and will close on December 15, 2024 at www.savannahtech.edu/competitive.

“Savannah Technical College has been a key partner in developing our healthcare workforce, and we’re excited to support this growth through the addition of the ASN degree,” said Effingham Health System President and CEO Dr. Fran Witt, who is also a member of STC’s Board of Trustees. “Effingham Health System is currently a clinical site for CNA and LPN students, so expanding the program to include ASN offers a strategic response to both local and national nursing shortages. This program will help meet our staffing needs and benefit healthcare systems across our region.”

Graduates of the Associate of Science in Nursing program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The Savannah metro area had a skills gap of 3,173 for registered nurses in 2023.

STC’s Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program will prepare graduates to provide quality patient care through academic and occupational knowledge attained throughout their program of study. To learn more about ASN and other nursing programs at the College, visit: www.savannahtech.edu/nursing. Vickie Nylander, MSN, RN-BC, PCCN, is the ASN Program Director.

The ASN program’s development is partially funded by the College’s Title III Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) grant, a five-year US Department of Education grant initially awarded in 2021. The College seeks to address both the shortage of registered nurses in the local workforce and the low participation of minority students in higher-level health science programs with funding from the PBI formula grant.