The curriculum consists of nursing and clinical courses as well as studies in humanities and social sciences. The degree portion of the program has courses that focus on the health care system and implications on the profession. A collaborative nursing program is usually four years full-time and results in a bachelor's degree in nursing.
Registered nurses traditionally have entered into the profession in a variety of ways--on-the-job training, diploma programs and now university degree programs. Collaborative programs are a fairly new initiative, aimed to provide a well-rounded education via several schools at one time.
Because these programs have two or more schools involved, a variety of teaching and learning strategies are available to students. Resources once available only to one college or university now become available to the entire program. This allows for increased access to tools, clinical placements and a variety of faculty members.