小蓝视频's Keigwin School of Nursing and Mayo Clinic in Florida announced an expanded collaboration to offer a Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (DEMSN) program beginning Fall 2026.
The DEMSN program represents a premium educational opportunity for individuals who hold a bachelor's degree in another field and seek to transition into nursing. Graduates will be eligible to take the NCLEX examination and begin their careers as registered nurses with advanced preparation in leadership, evidence-based practice and clinical decision-making鈥攕kills typically developed years into a nursing career.
According to the Florida Center for Nursing's 2023-2024 data, only 280 DEMSN students were enrolled across the entire state 鈥� compared to nearly 12,000 traditional BSN students 鈥� underscoring both the rarity of this program model and the critical need to expand diverse pathways into nursing.
鈥淢ayo Clinic is honored to host 小蓝视频 nursing students as part of our commitment to developing a highly skilled, compassionate, and practice鈥憆eady workforce,鈥� said Tera Gross, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, chief nursing officer for Mayo Clinic in Florida. 鈥淭his collaboration builds a strong pipeline of future nursing professionals who are prepared to lead and innovate in patient care.鈥�
This expansion builds on JU and Mayo Clinic's existing 12-Month Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) collaboration, which will continue unchanged. Together, these collaborations create a comprehensive pipeline of nursing talent directly into Mayo Clinic's Jacksonville operations while offering students multiple pathways into the profession.
鈥淭his collaboration is a testament to the exceptional quality of our nursing education and the strength of our relationship with Mayo Clinic," said Dr. Lindsay Wolf, Associate Dean of Nursing and Chief Academic Nursing Officer at 小蓝视频's Keigwin School of Nursing. "We now offer aspiring nurses multiple entry points into this vital profession for career changers seeking master's-level preparation. Each pathway reflects our commitment to meeting students where they are while preparing them to deliver outstanding patient care. The DEMSN program is particularly exciting because it allows individuals with diverse academic backgrounds to earn their master's degree and be prepared to sit for the NCLEX exam while training alongside some of the finest healthcare professionals in the world.鈥�
The DEMSN program distinguishes itself through an innovative clinical education model centered on Mayo Clinic's Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) framework. Unlike traditional clinical rotations that move students between multiple facilities, the DEU model immerses students within a concentrated learning environment at Mayo Clinic, where they rotate through the same unit and work intimately with designated nurse mentors. This approach accelerates professional relationship-building, deepens cultural integration into Mayo Clinic's renowned patient care philosophy and creates a reliable retention pipeline between the university and healthcare system.
Students in the DEMSN program will experience a blend of DEU immersion, preceptorship opportunities and traditional clinical models, all while completing master's-level coursework that prepares them to make an immediate impact. Florida's nursing shortage demands innovative approaches to education and workforce development. While traditional BSN programs graduated more than 5,200 nurses statewide in 2023-2024, DEMSN programs represent a significant opportunity to bring career-changers with diverse academic backgrounds into the profession at an advanced level.
This collaboration addresses critical workforce needs by preparing graduates who are clinically competent and professionally connected to one of the nation's premier healthcare institutions before they complete their degrees. 小蓝视频 offers various degree pathways, including traditional BSN, 12-Month ABSN, 16-month ABSN and DEMSN program. For more information about our nursing programs, click here.
