When the GW School of Nursing
first opened in 2010, seventy-six students were enrolled in the Doctor of
Nursing Practice (DNP) program, but only 38 students registered for the program
in 2019. The decline is due to an effort to phase out some of the DNP specialty
concentrations to increase the school’s focus on advanced practice nursing
education in fields like nursing administration.
Mercedes Echevarria, assistant dean, reports that nursing school officials decided to increase focus on advanced nursing practice roles in 2015, including programs like nursing administration and population health, in response to national workforce trends.
Echevarria tells gwhatchet.com, “As GW Nursing sunsets programs in response to these variables, we offset enrollment strategically through growth in other programs and/or launch of new programs that fit with current and future healthcare community needs.”
GW nursing school officials have used market trends and national nursing school enrollment trends to analyze the needs of the nursing profession and community to plan for enrollment shifts over a five-year period. In response, the nursing school has grown its accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and launched new advanced practice nursing tracks including Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Adult Gerontological Acute Care Nurse Practitioner programs as well as a PhD in Nursing program.
To learn more about why the George Washington University School of Nursing is phasing out some of its DNP program specialty concentrations and offering new degrees amid an enrollment decline, visit here.
UW recognized a need for educating nurses more quickly, and began developing their accelerated program to help offset the critical nursing shortage in Wisconsin and across the country. The accelerated program will allow for nurses to be educated and graduate in one year as opposed to the two years a traditional program requires.
Karen Mittelstadt, UW School of Nursing assistant dean for academic affairs, tells BadgerHerald.com, “The additional accelerated BSN students will help offset what is projected to be a shortage of registered nurses anticipated to grow to nearly 20,000 nurses in Wisconsin by 2035.”
The bachelor of science in nursing program at UW graduates 160 nursing students each year, and the accelerated program would allow an additional 32 nursing students to graduate per year. Students who qualify for the accelerated program must have already earned a bachelor’s degree, as well as completed nursing school prerequisites. The curriculum is based on traditional nursing programs with courses modified into an accelerated format.
To learn more about UW’s accelerated nursing program, visit here.
The University of Missouri (MU) is opening a new online program to address a shortage of nurses and nurse educators in the state of Missouri. The Sinclair School of Nursing has developed an accelerated curriculum that allows RNs to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing online in three to four years.
Judith Fitzgerald Miller, Dean of the Sinclair School of Nursing at MU, tells LakeNewsOnline.com, “We need more nurses and the educators to prepare them. Nursing schools around the country lack the faculty to keep up with the demand for degrees as it is, and that is only going to grow for the foreseeable future.”
Registered nurses and nursing faculty in Missouri have an average age of 50, which is contributing to the shortage problem. As nurse educators begin to retire, nursing schools are forced to turn away qualified applicants because they don’t have enough faculty to teach them. Their goal is grow the number of faculty at MU and at other nursing programs in the state.
MU’s accelerated RN-MSN program is supported by a grant from the Missouri State Board of Nursing and the Missouri Department of Higher Education. The grant provides scholarships for full-time and part-time students in their first year of the new program. Scholarship recipients must agree to teach in Missouri nursing programs for three years after graduating.
Heidi Lucas, director of the Missouri Nurses Association, tells LakeNewsOnline.com, “The shortage of nurses in Missouri is at an all-time high. But to graduate more nurses, our colleges and universities have to have more capacity. When programs like this produce nurse educators, nursing programs can hire more instructors. In turn, the state can educate more future nurses.”
The online RN-MSN curriculum is designed to eliminate repetitive courses, allowing students to opt out of four required undergraduate-level courses and take six graduate-level courses on similar topics instead. Students in the existing online BSN program can apply to MU Graduate Studies in the last semester of their undergraduate course work to be admitted into the master’s program, after which they will have earned a BSN and MSN in three to four years.
To learn more about MU’s accelerated online nurse educator track, visit here.
Doreen C. Harper, UAB School of Nursing dean and Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair in Nursing, tells AL.com, “We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to BSC students whose diverse backgrounds and experiences in the liberal arts and sciences will continue to develop and grow the talent pool in nursing. And, we are proud the first school engaged with us in this endeavor is our neighbor, Birmingham-Southern.”
The new accelerated nursing program partnership works by allowing students who have completed almost three and a half years of work toward their bachelor’s degree at BSC to begin earning a master’s degree in nursing from UAB. Students also benefit from hands-on learning through internships, travel, and service-learning.
BSC seniors may begin UAB’s accelerated masters in nursing pathways program once they have completed 116 credit hours of undergraduate coursework. During the spring term of their senior year, students are enrolled at both BSC and UAB while taking their first semester of nursing coursework at UAB. At the end of the term, credits are transferred back to BSC so that they can graduate from Birmingham-Southern with their undergraduate degree.
To learn more about UAB and BSC’s accelerated nursing program partnership, visit here.
I have learned that adapting to the fast paced nature of the curriculum while balancing personal life is essential to one’s overall wellness. You have taken the pre-requisite courses, the GRE, and are ready to embark on this exciting journey. Little did you know, you hit the ground running after orientation. It feels as though you’re on a treadmill. First off, let me remind you that you are not alone. Secondly, as an accelerated nursing student who is in the final stretch of her program, let me provide you with some survival tips:
1. Time management.
Accelerated nursing programs are essentially cramming the last two years of a traditional 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree into a little over a year. You will be taking a pretty hefty course load as an accelerated nursing student, so having some type of planner/to-do list is crucial.
2. Create a study technique that works for YOU.
Everyone has their own way of studying. Some like to study alone, some like to study in groups. You will find those people in your class who can simply listen to the professor and review the lecture slides once over a day before the exam while you’ve been slaving away with your 50+ note cards for the past week. If you find that note cards work for you, stick with it. If you like making your own study guides with charts, stick with it. If you like reviewing the lecture slides and re-listening to the lecture over and over again, stick with it.
3. Self-care.
This means knowing when you need to give yourself a break. Your body needs sleep, it needs to hit the gym to sweat the day off, it needs that day of retail therapy. Whatever it is, remember that balance is key. Take your mental health days (or a few hours of study break). Don’t neglect your mental, emotional, and physical health.
4. Don’t compare yourself with others.
It’s definitely easier said than done. Just remember that the main goal is to get through the program, pass the NCLEX, and get that RN licensure. It’s so easy to compare your grades with others, or to be more involved in something than others. My advice is to just try your best while maintaining a good balance between school and personal life. If you need those extra hours or days to study, use them and strive for the grade you want. If have an interest or a passion in something, find those opportunities and experiences for yourself and no one else.
5. Remember your big picture goal(s).
Getting caught up in the stresses of upcoming assignments and exams comes with the territory of accelerated nursing programs. You may have those moments where you’re thinking if all this stress and lack of sleep/personal life are worth it. This is where I tell you to take a breather. Remember why you wanted to become a nurse in the first place. Remember that you were chosen out of thousands of applicants to join this amazing network of health care professionals. Speak with alumni, attend the lecture series or seminars your nursing school hosts, and surround yourself with inspiring people. Don’t lose that flame and energy you remember having the first day of school.
