Message from the Dean
Thank you for considering Centra College as a place to begin for your nursing education journey. We know you have many options to prepare you for a nursing career. Your choice for exploring Centra College is perhaps the wisest choice for your education.
There are many reasons to select Centra College. Our dedicated staff guide you through the admissions process, financing your education, and support services to help you be a successful student through graduation. The Centra College campus provides state of the art classrooms, laboratories and simulation facilities. There are also multiple opportunities to be involved campus community events.
We provide a unique, specialized, hands-on experience from highly knowledgeable and skilled faculty and preceptors that will challenge you to meet the demands of our exciting and thriving profession. Your interactions with all members of the healthcare team will prepare you for the dynamic and everchanging landscape of healthcare.
We are proud of the achievements of our graduates, and we look forward to helping you realize your educational goals.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sara Turpel, PhD, RN
Our history
The Diploma in Nursing program was established in 1912 to meet a vital community need for professional nurses in Lynchburg and the surrounding area. A 33-month educational program led to a diploma in nursing. The final class was admitted in August 2010 and graduated in 2013. The Diploma in Nursing program closed in 2013.
The Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) program was approved by the Centra Senior Executive Team as the Centra College RN–BSN bridge baccalaureate program in September 2015. The first RN–BSN cohort began on January 8, 2017.
The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program was approved by the Centra Board of Directors in July 2010. The program entered the first class in August 2011, with graduation being May 2013.
The Practical Nursing program (PN), which is 17-months in length, was established in January 1989.
The Centra Nurse Aide Education Program was established in 2012 to meet a vital community need for nurse aides in Lynchburg and the surrounding area. Centra College adopted the program in January 2018 and accepts Nurse Aide students to the program various times throughout the year at the main campus at Centra College and at the branch campus at Bedford Memorial Hospital.
