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Attending Galen College of Nursing in Utah

Utah nurse, Anna Briggs, supported by HCA Healthcare in attending Galen College of Nursing online.

September 29, 2022
Anna Briggs.
Anna Briggs.

Anna Briggs, Patient and Staff Education Specialist at Mountain View Hospital, wanted a way to further her education — to get her BSN and maybe even go on to a get master’s degree. But life is busy, and with everything going on, she wasn’t sure how to accomplish that goal. That changed when she heard about the online options for HCA Healthcare’s Galen College of Nursing.

This isn’t Anna’s first college experience. She received her Licensed Practical Nurse in the late 90’s through Utah Valley State College (now UVU) and later an RN through a Weber State / Mountain View Hospital partnership in 2000.

“I’ve worked for HCA Healthcare for a long time and I know that they want to support you in your dreams. If you want to be a CNO, a director, if you are an anesthesia tech and want to be a rad tech, HCA is going to support you in striving for that. If you are a CNA and want to be an RN, Galen, here you are!”

Anna started working on her degree through Galen in July. By attending full-time she says it will take her about a year to complete. Class has been good, though working in Canvas has taken a little getting used to. She says she has already learned "a ton of new things", while other things she has already known.

Regarding the financing of her degree, HCA Healthcare is covering the cost with a minimum two-year work commitment. Says Anna, “If you go to Galen, then HCA Healthcare does direct bill with them. Right now, they’ll pay over $5000 a year toward your education. I apply for each class prior to taking it and then submit my grades within 60 days of the semester ending. You have to have passing grades. The whole process to register is really fast — it takes maybe 30 minutes. They give you step-by-step instructions.”

She laughs, “When I first started my advisor actually helped me register. You have to do at least 6-8 credit hours per semester to qualify for reimbursement. I am doing 12 right now. They break the semester up into blocks which makes it easier to focus on a couple at a time, which is nice.”

When asked what she would tell others about the prospect of going to Galen, she said, “Why wouldn’t you? HCA’s going to pay for it. They have people who are going to help you — advisors. If someone else was going to pay for it, it was a no-brainer for me.”

Published:
September 29, 2022
Location:
MountainView Hospital, Mountain View Hospital