Des Moines Area Community College and Iowa State University announced Wednesday a new 3+1 nursing articulation agreement to allow DMACC nursing graduates to complete a bachelor’s degree at Iowa State in one year.

Through Iowa State’s Registered Nurse-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN) program, DMACC nursing graduates can transfer to ISU to continue their nursing education after completing DMACC’s three-year program and passing the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurse Licensure. The program is mostly online, allowing students to continue working while completing their bachelor’s degree.

“We are providing a pathway for registered nurses to earn their BSN, which will lead to more highly skilled nurses entering the workforce this decade,” said Dawn Bowker, ISU director of nursing education and clinical assistant professor of nursing, in a prepared statement. “Ultimately, patients will benefit. Research has shown that improved patient outcomes are associated with nurses with bachelor’s degrees, including lower mortality rates and fewer medication errors.”

The RN-to-BSN program also provides students practicum opportunities in local communities as well as at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and in Oslo, Norway.

The agreement takes effect starting in fall 2025.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a shortage of nurses due to a variety of factors, a news release said. Some of the reasons include an aging workforce, aging baby boomer population that will have an increased need for health care services and the growing prevalence of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

DMACC graduates more than 400 nursing students from its program each year, the release said.

“DMACC and ISU have collaborated many times over the years, and we are proud to partner once again to support student success and address workforce needs,” DMACC President Rob Denson said in a prepared statement.