Chamberlain University is accepting applications for a three-year nursing degree at a new Sandy campus, its first physical location in Utah.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program uses a direct-entry model, meaning students take nursing courses from day one rather than spending a year or more on prerequisites. There is no application fee.

Chamberlain says the program is built for certified nursing assistants, medical assistants, patient care technicians, career changers and recent graduates. Coursework mixes in-person classes, simulation training and clinical rotations with online and hybrid sessions. Students train on realistic patient simulators at Chamberlain's SIMCARE CENTER and use HESI benchmark testing to track their readiness before moving into clinical experiences with health system partners across the region. The campus offers evening and weekend scheduling with six start dates per year.

"By the time students graduate and sit for their licensing exam, they'll have the knowledge and training that patient care demands," Trevor Scott, executive campus director for Chamberlain's Salt Lake City campus, said in a university statement.

Utah's nursing picture

Graduates will enter a healthcare job market where demand outstrips supply. The Salt Lake City area sees more than 24,000 healthcare jobs go unfilled each year, with more than five open positions for every job seeker, according to the Covista Care Capacity Monitor. Covista is Chamberlain's parent company, so the figures are company-sourced rather than independent.

Utah ranks 49th nationally for nurses per 1,000 residents, according to multiple analyses of federal data. But the picture is more nuanced than a simple crisis. Marla De Jong, dean of the University of Utah College of Nursing, told the Deseret News in March that the state is faring better than some and not experiencing a major shortage at the moment, but warned that new facilities opening across Utah will drive fresh demand.

"We have to start educating for that now, because if we don't stay ahead of that, then we will be back into a deficit," De Jong said in the same March interview.

Chamberlain is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and its nursing program holds accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The Sandy campus also has state-level approvals from the Utah Board of Nursing.

The first session is scheduled to begin Monday, Oct. 26, at 9490 S. 300 W., 3rd Floor, Sandy, off I-15 at Exit 295. The campus is also accessible by the TRAX Blue Line.

Applications are open at chamberlain.edu/saltlakecity. The admissions line is 855-541-5853.