Challenge XII. Nursing

Response:

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is designed to provide registered nurses an opportunity to obtain a bachelor’s degree in a one-night/week format, while continuing to manage the responsibilities of full-time work, family and community commitments.  The students enter the program with junior level status and are required to have current unencumbered state licensure as a registered nurse.  They enter the program under the assumption that basic technical nursing skills, lower level sciences, and nursing related courses have been mastered and validated through satisfactory completion of state licensure exams.  The program is designed for working nurses who desire to advance within their current work environment, change from an institutional to a community focus or pursue a higher education degree.

Successful program completion is facilitated by allowing nurses to obtain     credits through traditional classroom or online courses.  The program consists of 45 credit hours of content that builds on the concepts of professional practice, evidence based practice, relationship-centered care, and leadership.  The BSN program uses teaching-learning approaches that are interactive, facilitated by experienced, clinically based, and caring faculty.

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) granted accreditation to the Miller College baccalaureate degree program in nursing for the term of 5 years, effective as of September 20, 2010, extending to June 30, 2016.  The next on-site evaluation will take place in the fall of 2015.

Enrollment

The School of Nursing was established in the Fall of 2006 with 21 students adding to the College enrollment figures.  The Spring 2010 figures showed a College total of 320 students, 128 of which were enrolled in the Nursing Program.  In the Fall 2011, the enrollment was 376 students with 155 students enrolled in the Nursing Program.  The School of Nursing was designed to provide flexibility in course scheduling to accommodate the practicing nurse.  The program is not cohort-based to allow for greater scheduling options.  The program continues to bring in the highest number of semester hours/course credits for the College each semester (36.3% of the total semester hour enrollment, and +16.5% increase of overall student enrollment in Fall of 2011).

Staffing for the Nursing Program has increased in recent years.  The program started with a Dean of the School of Nursing and several additional very qualified Adjunct Professors. The School now has 2 full-time, 1 percent time, and 7 adjunct faculty members for a total of 10 faculty members.  Two staff members (Dean Dawson and Debra Buck, faculty) are enrolled in the Doctorial Program with release-time and/or funding provided by the institution. One additional nursing instructor with a doctorate has been hired for the institution (adjunct) and will assist with the development of a Master’s Degree Program in Nursing.

New Strategy Planned for Continued Improvement in the Nursing Program:

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Health care executives on the School of Nursing Advisory Board have informed the College of a significant market need for MSN graduates.  As a result of their input, the College has decided to pursue a MSN program for fall 2013.  The Dean of the School of Nursing and a full-time faculty member in the School of Nursing will complete their doctoral work by fall 2013.  The goal of the College is to have a total of 20 new students when the program launches.  A detailed application/plan is included in this Self-Study Appendix B in the request to the Higher Learning Commission for approval of this plan.

The MSN completion program business plan outlines the detail of the proposed service (program) being presented, as well as the organizational structure and authority that exists and will result after implementation.  The marketing plan is described in detail, reflecting current market potential and planned approaches to growth.  Past and present student input was obtained to determine feasibility.

A detailed financial plan is presented with proposed revenue and expense figures and the assumptions on which they were based. The financial projections reflect a planned implementation process and 3 year financial performance expectation.

This proposed MSN completion program at Miller College offers a unique opportunity by ensuring customer satisfaction and meeting the specific needs of the local and state graduate nursing demands.

Evidence:

• Self-Study Appendix B