ATLANTA—The Perimeter College Department of Nursing associate degree program became an administrative unit of the Georgia State University School of Nursing on July 1, in accordance with regulations of the Georgia Board of Nursing.
The new name is The Georgia State University School of Nursing Associate Degree Program, Perimeter College.
The change is an administrative, not a physical change. New and continuing associate degree program students take courses at the suburban campus locations and pay existing Perimeter College tuition and fees. New associate degree students will be accepted into the program under the existing admissions policies.
“Consolidating Georgia State’s nursing education moves us towards achieving the goal of a better educated nursing workforce,” said Joan Cranford, assistant dean of nursing. “A more educated workforce leads to improved patient care and better healthcare outcomes.
“The School of Nursing offers students a more seamless academic progression, allowing them to achieve higher levels of education and help create a more diverse workforce. The associate degree program provides the access point for students to efficiently progress into the bachelor’s program and eventually to the master’s degree program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice program or even the Ph.D. program, if desired.”
Ngozi O. Nkongho, Ph.D., joins the School of Nursing faculty as the new director of the associate degree nursing program. Nkongho comes from St. Paul’s School of Nursing in Queens, N.Y., where she was dean. She was previously deputy director for the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission. Nkongho reports to Cranford, and leads nursing education at the Clarkston campus.