IUPUC is proud to announce the addition of a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program. The Indiana Commission on Higher Education has acknowledged the need to establish a standalone BSN in southeast central Indiana (Region 9), and the IU School of Nursing has acknowledged that IUPUC’s nursing program can deliver it.
Until now, no college or university in Region 9 has offered a BSN program. Potential students had to travel to Indianapolis, Muncie or New Albany to find a traditional BSN program or stair-step their nursing education by obtaining an associate degree in nursing at a school in Region 9 then transferring to another school to complete a bachelor’s degree program. (Region 9 includes the following counties: Bartholomew, Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland.)
“I think the proposed program is an important next step in meeting the needs of south central Indiana for a registered nurse workforce who are baccalaureate prepared,” said Marion Broome, Ph.D., and Dean of IUPUI’s School of Nursing. “IUPUC has traditionally offered strong educational programs for those seeking an associate degree in nursing and I believe they will extend that history of excellence into the proposed baccalaureate program.”
As part of the IU School of Nursing Core with IU-Bloomington and IUPUI, the IUPUC BSN program will follow the same mission and goals of the other two programs. Students will complete a rigorous IU curriculum accredited by two nursing professional accrediting bodies: the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
“It is a privilege to be able to deliver the IU School of Nursing traditional four-year Bachelor in Nursing program at IUPUC,” said Deb Harmon, head of the division of nursing. “This is something that the community has wanted and needed for a long time. To say that I am excited is an understatement, I am elated!”
The admissions process is competitive, with a strong emphasis on math and science. The cohorts, with limited available seats, will be comprised of only the very top candidates. The BSN curriculum requires a minimum of 125 credit hours, broken into two components: 53-55 credit hours of general education course work, and 70-72 credit hours of nursing courses that stress critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to start careers as registered nurses or continue their education in a master’s degree program.
The nursing courses at IUPUC will be taught by highly qualified full-time and adjunct professors. Full-time Clinical Assistant Professors include Harmon with specializations in adult medical-surgical nursing, critical care, and emergency medicine; Rebecca Bartlett with specializations in adult medical-surgical nursing, critical care, and research; and Ann Styron with specializations in public health and maternal/child. All three full-time faculty members are currently enrolled in doctorate nursing programs. Two new Clinical Assistant Professors in Nursing will start in August, 2009. They are Dr. Beth Sharer who has expertise in nursing leadership and management and Shirley Sanders who specializes in adult medical-surgical nursing.
In addition to the new program, students will also experience a newly renovated nursing lab. The renovated lab will include all new equipment, including three patient care areas with hospital beds, IV pumps, monitors and simulation mannequins with virtual reality software.
The demand for nursing professionals is skyrocketing. According to Indiana Workforce Development, there is a need for an additional 150 hospital RN jobs for the southern region of Indiana. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 23 percent from 2006 to 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For more information about the IU School of Nursing at IUPUC, call 812-348-7250 or e-mail nursing @iupuc.edu.
LETTERS OF SUPPORT
The following are excerpts from letters of support for the IUPUC BSN program:
• “Baccalaureate nurses are vital to our inpatients; research has demonstrated that staffing with this level of nurse will yield fewer patient complications and better clinical outcomes. Having such a program will support the goals of central Indiana hospitals to attract and retain nurses as knowledge workers, as well as meeting state initiatives about the “brain drain” from Indiana.” Susan McRoberts, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at St. Francis Hospitals.
• “Research indicates patients have improved outcomes in hospital environments that have a higher percentage of BSN prepared nurses in the workforce. We believe that a well educated, highly experience, and well satisfied workforce is the key to our success in ensuring we actualize our mission and vision (to be the best in the country at everything we do in service to our mission of improving the health and well being of the people we serve).” Cheri Goll, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Columbus Regional Hospital.
• “We know that research links BSN prepared nurses to higher quality patient care. This program certainly supports our efforts toward quality and safety.” Vicki Johnson, Vice President of Nursing Services at Schneck Medical Center.