CIU accepting applications for new nursing program.

• Position: Columbia International University

Columbia International University is now accepting applications for its new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Classes begin in August, pending approval from the State Board of Nursing.

Jill McElhney, a nurse with 27 years of health care experience, leads CIU's nursing program. Under her guidance, enrollment in the nursing program at Colorado Christian University doubled, according to a news release from CIU.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 194,500 openings for registered nurses each year from 2020 to 2030, with many of those openings resulting from the need to replace workers who job changes or retire. The average age of a registered nurse in 2020 was 42.6, and the average salary as of May 2020 was $75,330.

CIU's state-of-the-art nursing simulation center includes full-body manikins that allow for clinical skill training, cognitive thinking and behavioral communication.

"With every clinical course, they (students) will spend four weeks in simulation on...