The history of Galen College of Nursing dates back to 1989 when it was established by Humana Health Institutes in Louisville, Kentucky. The college was started with the aim of offering the best nursing education possible so as to enable its graduates to establish a firm career in nursing. For years, it operated under the name of the founding institute, but this changed in 2005 when it was given its current name.

Contents:

• Programs of Galen College of Nursing
• Campuses of the Galen College of Nursing
• Online Program of Galen College of Nursing
• Services Offered to Students at the Galen College of Nursing
• Community Projects of the Galen College of Nursing
• Working at Galen College of Nursing
• Why Choose Galen College of Nursing?

Programs of Galen College of Nursing

The institution has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools which is an influential body in the field of nursing, and this makes it eligible to offer various degrees in nursing. The Associate Degree program that the college offers in Kentucky has been accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Below is a list of the courses that are offered at all Galen campuses:

• Licensed Practical Nursing

The course offers training for people who want to work in the nursing providing basic care such as monitoring vital signs in patients, cleaning wounds, and reporting patient status to patients. Licensed Practical Nurses do not operate independently but under the supervision of registered nurses.

• Licensed Vocational Nursing

The program is offered at the San Antonio campus for entry-level health care providers. The graduated become licensed to provide basic bedside care to patients. These licensees are not independent practitioners at this level.

• Degree in Associate of Applied Science in Nursing

The course offers a foundation in the nursing career. Upon completing the program, graduated can work in hospitals, health agencies, nursing homes, and within the office practice of surgeons, physicians, and dentists. Galen College of Nursing offers this nursing degree program at the San Antonio campus.

• Dual Track BSN

Galen College of Nursing launched these courses in 2014 to enable students to earn their Registered Nurse License as they study for their Baccalaureate Course in Nursing. The course can be taken online or at Cincinnati, Louisville, and Tampa Bay campuses.

• Advanced Standing Dual Track BSN

It helps Licensed Practical Nurses to advance to BSN while obtaining an Associate Degree along the way. It is available at the Cincinnati campus.

• LVN to ADN Bridge

This course is for Licensed Vocational Nurses, who want to advance into registered nurses. It offers some transferable credits because it takes into account the past training acquired by applicants. It is currently offered at San Antonio Campus.

• RN to BSN

This is an online course that is offered to holders of Associate Degree and who want to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Although efforts are underway to widen its scope, it is currently offered in selected states such as Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

Campuses of the Galen College of Nursing

Galen College of Nursing has various state of the art campuses that are well equipped and staffed to offer quality training. These include:

• Tampa Bay: 11101 Roosevelt Blvd N
• Saint Petersburg, Florida 33716
• San Antonio: 7411 John Smith, Suite 300
• San Antonio, Texas 78229
• Louisville: 1031 Zorn Ave, Suite 400
• Louisville, Kentucky 40207
• Cincinnati: 100 E Business Way, Suite 200
• Cincinnati, Ohio 45241

Among all these, the campus in Cincinnati was the first to be established in 2007, and it offers an Associate Degree in nursing programs. Currently, the campuses have a holding capacity of over 3000 students who have choosen to undertake studies in the institutions for various reasons.

Online Program of Galen College of Nursing

For areas where Galen College of Nursing is yet to establish campuses, it offers an online program that is easily accessible. The program has a high level of interaction between the faculty and the learners to ensure maximum assistance when needed. To ease the online experience, there is an enrollment counselor who guides potential online students to understand how to go about the registration and learning process.

The faculty assigned to online courses is experts in their field, and they develop highly interactive courses that are rich in content. They use multiple strategies to format and deliver the online classes, and this creates and retains learners’ interests. Some of these strategies include video presentations, animations, and 3D graphics that make learning more lively. Additionally, the online program has 24/7 technical support that further enriches learners experience. However, the program may not be available in all the states because authorization requirements for distance education vary from one state to the other. Applicants are therefore required to get in touch with the Admissions Team so as to establish the states in which Galen has been granted approval.

Services Offered to Students at the Galen College of Nursing

The faculty at the Galen College of Nursing is exceptionally supportive and goes beyond the teaching role to provide other services that learners may require. Examples of such additional services include:

1. Personal counseling

There are many challenges that people encounter in the nursing career. Some of these are personal struggles while others are related to the experiences in school. For this reason, Galen has a school counselor who assists learners in sorting out their issues so that they can focus on learning. The counselors observe professionalism, and any information shared with them remains confidential.

2. One-on-one help with coursework

Staff members are always willing to hold discussions with learners whenever their schedule allows. They respond to questions regarding coursework and the nursing career in general. Apart from the regular course facilitators, each Galen campus has a Student Success Coordinator, who works together with counselors and teaching staff to improve the performance of the learners.

3. Student Resource Centre assistance

The resource centers at Galen have libraries, computer labs, and group study spaces. The centers have professional librarians who help students to cite and format their documents, convert files and utilize electronic resources for more information.

4. Special accommodations

At Galen, students with learning disabilities are supported and protected from any discrimination that they may face. They are given special accommodation and encouraged to report any concerns that they may have.

5. Career placement

The Galen College of Nursing invites employers from the healthcare industry for visits, during which they meet and interact with the students. Students can take advantage of such visits to create useful connections for their career. The college also equips learners with interview tips to ease their transition into the world of work.

The estimated average cost goes to around $9,900 annually, but this may vary with different courses or as an applicant moves from one Galen campus to another. The college also offers financial aid to qualified applicants in the form of grants, scholarships, and student loans. The financial aid forms are filled out during the enrollment process. The fact that the College accepts credits for some of the courses significantly reduces the cost and makes learning more affordable. Apart from the tuition fee, other costs that students have to incur include registration fee, technology fee, personal expenses, and purchase of books, uniform, and other learning supplies. The school has been termed as pricey at times but the cost is justified because of the quality education that they offer, and the value of the career path that the students are able to establish.

Community Projects of the Galen College of Nursing

The college has established various activities and programs through which it can give back to the community. It encourages students to take part in charitable acts such as giving donations, volunteering in hospitals and health care homes and participating in food drives among other ways. In as much as the community benefits most from the charitable acts by the institution, the students also benefit because their college experience becomes more enjoyable and fulfilling. Volunteer work provides them with a chance to hone their skills and apply their learning in a practical field. They also get the spirit of dedication and selflessness, which is a very crucial component of the nursing career. As a result of these efforts at volunteering, Galen has received various awards related to alleviating hunger, homelessness, and environmental issues. The awards have made a major contribution to the recognition of Galen as one of the best nursing schools in the world.

Working at Galen College of Nursing

Galen is a renowned institution for producing well-trained nurses who have been reported to be very successful in their careers. Such an achievement is made possible by the input of course facilitators, mentors, counselors, and other members of staff within the institution. They provide leadership and guidance to the learners and have a big role to play in training the students.

For this reason, the faculty has received recognition in the form of awards such as Florence Nightingale Award, Nursing Leadership Award, and Nightingale Excellence in Nursing Award. The staff members have developed a culture of teamwork, dedication, respect, and excellence at anything they do. The institution also gives room for the growth of the employees by providing opportunities for further education, organizing group workshops, and offering promotions to deserving individuals based on merit and performance. The leaders and staff members understand that the needs of the students come first, and they must strive to serve them at all times.

Why Choose Galen College of Nursing?

According to student and alumni reviews, there are various factors that make the institution an attractive option for all wishing to undertake nursing courses. Here are just a few of such factors:

1. Academic Flexibility

There is a wide range of classes at the institution, but the availability depends on the program that one has chosen. Class hours are flexible in such a way that the students can easily integrate them into their schedule. The institution offers full-time, part-time, and online learning options, so students can learn as they work. Additionally, now that the college is accredited, students have more flexibility while transferring credits and seeking further education.

2. Focused

The institution has a single mindset of promoting the nursing profession through different programs. A look at their mission and vision reveals that the school is dedicated to producing competent nurses who will excel at providing healthcare to the community. They do not offer other courses apart from nursing education, and the instructors use a hands-on approach in teaching.

3. Innovative

Galen is always opening new and exciting pathways to the nursing career for its students. They understand that the healthcare industry is continually changing, and there is a need for the nurses to be well equipped with the necessary skills to cope with the changes. For this reason, they have introduced new course combinations that enable the students to make the best of their time in college. A clear example of this is the Dual Track LPN to BSN program that offers an easy transition in the coursework.

4. Overall Experience

The school has a clean, quiet and conducive environment for learning. It provides the necessary resources such as equipment, labs, libraries, and other facilities needed by students. Applicants are assisted with the admission process and guided on choosing the appropriate programs. Professors are supportive and willing to work with students of diverse capabilities. The institution does not cut links with the alumni, and they can always come back and use school resources. The college also gives them job leads that may not be publicly advertised.

From these reviews, it is clear that most of the people who have been to the institution have had a pleasant experience, and would recommend it to other interested students.