Ohio University Lancaster opens applications for its first associate degree nursing class

Students in Ohio University Lancaster’s first associate degree nursing class will be at a patient’s bedside in their opening semester. By the time they graduate, they will have logged more than 350 clinical hours.

That class starts in January, and applications are open now with a priority deadline of Oct. 1.

"Lancaster is the newest place where students can begin their nursing education with the School of Nursing, and this program is built around hands-on learning, from the simulation and practice labs on campus to our bedside clinical experiences throughout the program. We want graduates to feel confident and ready to practice, and to see this as a first step in a professional nursing career they can keep building. That's how we help meet the region's need for nurses while keeping nursing education within reach for people who live here," said Dr. Char Miller, executive director of the School of Nursing.

Ohio University Lancaster already offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and its first graduating class earned a 96% NCLEX pass rate last year. The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, offered through the School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences and Professions, now adds a shorter route to becoming a registered nurse: five semesters.

“It extends the possibility of professional opportunities in nursing and health care,” said Danielle Schabel, associate director for nursing and associate professor of instruction at Ohio University Lancaster. “People in our area can opt to either stay local, or they go to Columbus. It’s affordable, which is a big deal.”

Staying close to home also keeps costs down. Lancaster campus students pay a regional tuition rate for an Ohio University degree, and U.S. News & World Report has ranked OHIO the best value among Ohio’s public universities for six consecutive years.

New labs and renovated classroom spaces for students

The campus spent the summer getting ready for the new program. A new nursing lab was built over the break, joining a new simulation space and a new practice lab, which gives the program three labs. Classroom space in Brasee Hall was renovated alongside them.

What happens in those rooms is built to stay small. Lecture sections cap at 25 students. Labs run 10 students to an instructor. Clinical groups run eight.

“When we’re in those more critical scenarios at the bedside with patients, we try to make sure that those groups are smaller,” Schabel said.

Those clinical hours happen at health care sites across the region. Students rotate through Fairfield Medical Center, OhioHealth Pickerington and The Springs at Wyandotte Trail, an extended care facility. Final-semester preceptorships have placed students at Grove City, Riverside, Grant, Ohio State and three Mount Carmel locations.

“The health care providers in Fairfield County need nurses, and many of the people who will fill those jobs already live here,” said Dr. Lewatis McNeal, vice provost for Regional Higher Education. “Offering the associate degree in Lancaster gives them a faster path to the bedside without leaving home to get there.”

Admission is competitive. The program has 25 seats, and if more qualified students apply than there are seats, applicants are ranked on grade-point average and other criteria. Decisions go out by Nov. 1.

Students learn together in small classes

Seven faculty members teach in the program, and Schabel said the size of the campus is part of what students are looking for.

“We’re all pretty close knit,” she said. “It’s definitely a smaller atmosphere on our campus. Within the nursing program, we have good relationships with our students, and students are looking more for that close relationship and partnership with their faculty members.”

The students have built something of their own on top of that. The Student Nurse Organization of Lancaster pairs upper-level students with underclassmen for peer mentoring, which Schabel reads as rehearsal for the job itself.

“When you have a new nurse on the floor, you kind of have to take them and say, all right, I’m going to show you how to learn the ropes,” she said. “Seeing them do that already while they’re students, it brings me joy, because that’s exactly what they’re going to need when they move forward.”

Schabel has been at Ohio University since 2013, when she started as an adjunct clinical instructor on the Athens campus. She went back for a master’s degree, taught in Athens for several years and has taught full time since 2016. She came to Lancaster to lead the nursing program, still commutes from the Athens area and works as a nurse practitioner.

Alongside her is Amber Landis, who handles records management for nursing and has been at the Lancaster campus for more than 30 years. Landis started at OHIO Lancaster out of high school, first in student services as a student, then in admissions, the library and instructional support. She joined the nursing program six months ago.

“This is a good thing to be a part of, something positive,” Landis said.

Schabel wants the new program to earn the reputation she already hears about OHIO graduates.

“We get a lot of feedback that our students are some of the most prepared as new graduates, that their transition is a lot easier as a new grad than some of their peers from other institutions,” she said. “I want to continue that with this new location.”

How to apply for the program

Applications for the spring 2027 cohort are open, with a priority deadline of Oct. 1. Students who miss that date should contact the nursing program directly, as applications may still be considered while seats remain.

For requirements and program details, visit https://www.ohio.edu/lancaster/academics/associate-degree/nursing.