NW Valley Times

Grand Canyon University (GCU) has expanded its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program with a new site in Creve Coeur, a suburb of St. Louis. The opening ceremony took place on Tuesday and included speeches from Dr. Randy Gibb, Provost of GCU; Heather Ziemianski, Associate Dean of the ABSN Program; and Greg Oppenhuizen, a recent graduate of the ABSN program in Sun City, Arizona.

"The opening of GCU's accelerated BSN program in St. Louis represents a vital step in addressing the growing demand for qualified nurses in Missouri,” stated Ziemianski. “By expanding our reach, we’re not only helping to alleviate the nursing shortage but also providing students with an opportunity to fast-track their nursing careers."

This new site marks the eighth location for GCU’s ABSN program since 2020. Other sites are located in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. The university is partnering with Mercy as its clinical partner at the new location. Mercy is a significant Catholic health care system operating over 50 hospitals and numerous urgent care centers across the United States.

“The St Louis site is a beautiful learning location for our nursing program," said Dr. Randy Gibb. "We have an amazing hospital partner with Mercy, and the culture of GCU and Mercy are in complete alignment as we collaborate to help graduate more nurses and support health care needs in St. Louis and beyond."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be 197,200 openings for registered nurses annually through 2033 due to increasing healthcare demands as Baby Boomers age. In response to this need, GCU’s ABSN program allows students to complete their education quickly—often within 16 months—depending on prior academic credits.

GCU President Brian Mueller emphasized the importance of scalable programs: “We can solve this (nursing shortage) problem,” he remarked at a previous dedication ceremony in Chandler, Arizona. “But we can’t solve the problem with small programs. We need large, scalable programs that can operate on a national basis.”

GCU plans further expansion with another site set to open in Kansas City during 2024-25 and aims to establish 40 such locations nationwide over five years.

The first cohort at the St. Louis site began their studies on September 3rd and has been approved by state regulators to accept up to 24 students initially, with future approvals expected for larger classes.