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Savanna Tisdale is wrapping up nursing school at Black Hawk College. But graduation won’t be the end of her education.
She wants to work in an Intensive Care Unit as a registered nurse, or RN, while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) online with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Nursing.
Her ultimate goal is to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
Thanks to an agreement between Black Hawk College and the University of Illinois Chicago, reaching that goal will be a little easier.
The two schools recently renewed their agreement to provide a seamless Dual Admissions Pathway from the Black Hawk College Associate Degree Nursing program to UIC’s fully online RN to BSN degree completion program.
“This partnership ensures our students have a clear, affordable pathway to continue their education and meet the demand for bachelor’s degree-prepared nurses in our region,” said Trudy Starr, chair of the Black Hawk College Nursing Department.
Tisdale says she was attracted to the BHC-to-UIC program because of how smooth and supportive the process is for BHC nursing students.
“I love that UIC provides direct contact to advisors who guide you through all the steps of the application process and inform you of classes you may still need and whether you are on the right path to applying to their college,” she said.
“This makes the transition process feel a lot less overwhelming,” Tisdale said.
She also liked the flexibility of the program.
Tisdale chose to complete the BHC nursing program before starting at UIC, but the pathway allows students to earn their associate degree while simultaneously taking UIC courses.
“Through this Dual Admissions Pathway, Black Hawk students can be part of the UIC community from the start of their nursing journey,” said Gloria E. Barrera, director of UIC’s RN to BSN degree completion program.
“This partnership is awesome for Black Hawk nursing students who want to further their education,” Tisdale said.
“It is a great option for more opportunities in the future.”