February 18, 2025 (Wilmore, Ky.) — Asbury University will welcome to campus its first class of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students for the fall 2025 semester, expanding the university’s offerings in the health professions under the Shaw School of Sciences.
“Nursing has long been discussed at Asbury University,” said President Dr. Kevin J. Brown. “I am so thankful for the leadership and vision of our provost, dean, and faculty to make this dream a reality. In addition to significant marketplace needs for a skilled nursing workforce, a BSN program at Asbury aligns with our desire for holistic and rigorous head and heart education so our students can effectively serve the spheres they come to inhabit. We are very excited to get started!”
In August 2024, Asbury welcomed Dr. Connie Lamb (RN, CNE, CHSE) as the new Nursing Program Administrator and Associate Professor, and her leadership culminated in the successful BSN development for undergraduate students. Lamb previously served at Eastern Kentucky University, Berea College, and Bluegrass Community and Technical College, most recently as Associate Dean & Director of Nursing. Asbury is actively seeking Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation.
“We are on course and committed to delivering an exceptional program, preparing our graduates to lead lives of compassionate service to others through the ministry of professional nursing,” Lamb said. “Inspired by Galatians 5:13, ‘Serve one another humbly in love,’ we are committed to cultivating nurses who exemplify excellence, empathy, and a Christ-centered approach to nursing care. It is truly a privilege to be a part of this great work.”
Asbury’s program, which will begin with a cohort of 20 students, will help meet a critical need of healthcare professionals in the nation and Kentucky. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that registered nursing jobs will grow faster than average through 2031, with around 203,200 openings each year, and Kentucky also has an exceptionally high demand for nurses.
Prior to launching its own program, Asbury had a pre-nursing program with nursing partnerships in BSN and Accelerated BSN with University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University and Indiana Wesleyan University. Those program partnerships remain in place.
Learn more about the new program at asbury.edu/nursing, and the other health professions programs at Asbury, including programs in Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dental, Pre-Veterinary Medicine, and Pre-Physical Therapy.