Piedmont ready to go with Athens campus nursing program

DEMOREST - Piedmont College in Athens will begin offering Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees with the start of the fall 2011 semester.

Dr. Linda Scott, dean of the college's Daniel School of Nursing at the main campus in Demorest, said initially about 20 students will be enrolled in Athens. Classes will be held in Lane Hall on North Milledge Avenue, adjacent to the college's main Athens campus on Prince Avenue.

Scott said students interested in enrolling in the nursing program should have completed their core freshman and sophomore studies by spring or summer of 2011. Applications should be received before Feb. 1. For information on how to enroll, contact the Piedmont School of Nursing at 706-776-0116.

Piedmont opened its nursing school in Demorest about 10 years ago and enrolls about 40 students there each year. The Georgia Board of Nursing approved the new program in Athens last month. Scott said the BSN program is similar to that for registered nurses and also includes classes in research and community health. The college offers different tracks for nurses who may already have an RN or LPN degree and want to earn a BSN diploma.

Scott said the faculty in Athens will include professors from the Demorest Campus, as well as some new members. The college already works with Athens-area medical facilities for students performing clinical internships.