SIU's accelerated nursing program graduated its first class of students on Thursday, August 4th.
Program Director Kelli Whittington said the program offers an opportunity for those looking to change careers without wanting to go through four years of school. The program compresses three years of coursework into just one year. Students must have a bachelor's degree or a certain number of credit hours completed before admission.
It also means graduating more nurses during a nationwide nursing shortage.
"So we're trying to help obtain the nurses that we need for our region by being able to put them through this accelerated program," she said.
Whittington said of the 16 graduates, 14 plan on working in southern Illinois.
