Joshua Patterson-Pope
Palmetto Health Heart Hospital Director of Nursing Kim Wallace, BSN, RN, PCCN, said of Patterson-Pope, “Josh interacts with each of our inpatient units on a daily basis to manage patient flow in and out of the organization. I have seen tremendous growth in Josh since he has returned to school to obtain his BSN. He has become more proactive in unit-based councils and brings new ideas to the team. He has improved his critical thinking skills and works well with our interdisciplinary teams helping to improve our quality initiatives [...] he has a great future at Palmetto Health.”
Regarding the healthcare system’s commitment to its entire staff, Palmetto Health Workforce Development Manager Val Richardson said “Palmetto Health is proud to invest in our team members. Our hospital system provides a tuition assistance benefit every year for team members pursuing critical need roles. Providing this benefit [conveys our commitment to developing the skills of] our team members. In addition, forming tuition discount partnerships with colleges such as Madison School of Healthcare helps ease the financial burden for our team members.”
Patterson-Pope has an 18-month tenure as an Admission/Discharge and Transport/Flow Process Nurse at the Palmetto Health Heart Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, where he was hired initially as a Charge Nurse. His career goal being hospital administration, Patterson-Pope says completing his BSN degree will boost his employment opportunities beyond lateral moves within the Palmetto Health system.
It was during the transition from Charge Nurse that he realized the need for continuing education. Not knowing where else to start, he said he “...Googled ‘RN to BSN’ and, I’ll never forget, the very first place I called [cost] $12,000 per semester.” After that price shock, he admitted that, at $167/per credit hour, the Madison School of Healthcare program sounded too good true but turned out to be extremely valuable for his budget and schedule. The flexible course structure allowed him to make time for his nieces and nephews during their summer break from school.
Patterson-Pope earned his Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing from Walter State Community College in 2013. He is currently completing his third semester as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) student at Madison School of Healthcare. His scholarship awards are expected to cover the costs of his final two semesters.
In July 2017, The DAISY Foundation awarded Patterson-Pope the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in honor of his “special acts of kindness and compassion” toward a dying patient and his family. Because of his efforts at Palmetto Health, patients have nominated him for The DAISY Award nearly a dozen times.
About Madison School of Healthcare
Madison School of Healthcare, a division of Ashworth College, is home to more than 30 healthcare- and veterinary care-related diploma and degree programs including its popular Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) degree which is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). For more information, visit madison.ashworthcollege.edu.
About Ashworth College
Ashworth College is a nationally-accredited online institution that provides flexible and affordable education to students located around the world. Areas of study include more than 125 career-focused programs in the high-demand fields of healthcare, technology, business, creative services, education, legal studies, and trades. Since its founding 30 years ago, more than 300,000 students have graduated from Ashworth College with diplomas, professional certificates, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In a 2016 survey by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, 95 percent of graduates said they were satisfied with their studies and would recommend Ashworth College to a friend. For more information, visit www.ashworthcollege.edu.
Ashworth College is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency. The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
About Palmetto Health
Palmetto Health is the largest health care system in the South Carolina Midlands region and one of the state’s largest employers. Palmetto Health employs more than 14,000 team members, physicians, and volunteers, and has been recognized as one of the nation’s best places to work. For more information, visit www.PalmettoHealth.org.
Media Contact:
Amy Dixon
Ashworth College
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