Summer, for many nursing students, is a time to kick back and relax. It’s a time to take a mental break from books, study groups, and NCLEX nerves. But for 15 students at Southern Adventist University’s School of Nursing in Collegedale, TN, the last three summers have been a time to buckle down and learn.

Last week, those students graduated from a pilot program known as the Summer Study Option (SSO) at Southern Adventist. In session during the past three consecutive summers, the SSO allowed students to gain their nursing education during the summer, helping to free up some limited space in the regular nursing program in the process.

The school will evaluate the success of the program before deciding whether or not to offer it again.

Sources: The (TN) Chattanoogan and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation