The Israeli Council for Higher Education has granted approval for the first English-language Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree to be launched by The Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) during the 2022-23 school year.
The initiative will expand upon JCT's top-ranked Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, which is largely recognized as one of the country’s premier undergraduate nursing programs.
Currently, JCT's Selma Jelinek School of Nursing services more than 1,200 students each year. The master’s degree will include the same coursework as the College’s Hebrew-language nursing program, which includes areas such as applying research and data to clinical care and decision-making; leadership; comprehensive and dynamic treatment planning for all health needs; patient-centered care; pain relief and the preservation of patients’ quality of life, epidemiology and public health; and the intersection of philosophy, ethics, law, and halacha (Jewish law) in the field of nursing.
JCT's Dean of Life and Health Sciences Prof. Freda Ganz expressed excitement about the program launch.
“New immigrants and visitors to Israel are consistently looking for high-quality programs in English," she said. "They do not want their education to involve compromises. Given the significant demand in Israel for such programs, particularly in nursing, JCT is well-positioned to fill this important need. We look forward to launching an innovative program that will continue our track record of excellence and innovation in the field of nursing."
The initiative announcement comes as the number of nurses around the world is falling further just as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads. Many nurses are burned out from the COVID-19 pandemic and rates of "intention to leave" within a year have doubled to 20%-30%, according to Howard Catton, CEO of the Geneva-based group that represents 27 million nurses in 130 national associations.
Reuters contributed to this report.