nursing notes summer 2010

6
Nursing notes SUMMER 2010 Alumni Spotlight NCLEX-RN Results What’s Inside Full Approval Granted by the Texas Board of Nursing T he Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing received full approval from the Texas Board of Nursing during its April 22nd meeting. Full approval was granted as a result of accreditation by the Accrediting Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the stellar performance of recent graduates on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) examination. (See related article on page 4.) Beverley Nutall, a licensed vocational nurse at the University Pediatric Association in College Station and Texas Board of Nursing board member, made the motion for approval, citing the College of Nursing as a “model program.” “We are very proud that the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing is one of the model programs in the state of Texas,” Nutall said. “We want to congratulate Dean Wilkerson and the nursing faculty for a job well done.” “Today’s unanimous vote for full approval from the Texas Board of Nursing is the culmination of two years work and represents the end of the first chapter in the College of Nursing’s history,” said Sharon A. Wilkerson, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the College of Nursing. “While extremely proud of this accomplishment, we are already looking forward to new challenges.” Among these challenges are development and implementation of a graduate program, expansion into additional regions of Texas to accommodate demand, and growth of programmatic areas to more fully integrate into the community. Dean Wilkerson explains that it is the commitment to excellence demonstrated by faculty, staff and students alike that have made reaching this milestone a reality. 2 4 5 6 Our Growth and History News & Notes

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College of Nursing Newsletter Summer 2010

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Page 1: Nursing Notes Summer 2010

NursingnotesSUMMER 2010

AlumniSpotlight

NCLEX-RNResults

What’s Inside

Full Approval Granted by the Texas Board of Nursing

The Texas A&M Health Science

Center College of Nursing received

full approval from the Texas Board

of Nursing during its April 22nd

meeting. Full approval was granted as a

result of accreditation by the Accrediting

Commission on Collegiate Nursing

Education and the stellar performance of

recent graduates on the National Council

Licensure Examination for Registered

Nurses (NCLEX-RN) examination.

(See related article on page 4.)

Beverley Nutall, a licensed vocational

nurse at the University Pediatric

Association in College Station and Texas

Board of Nursing board member, made

the motion for approval, citing the College

of Nursing as a “model program.”

“We are very proud that the Texas

A&M Health Science Center

College of Nursing is one of the

model programs in the state of

Texas,” Nutall said. “We want to

congratulate Dean Wilkerson and the

nursing faculty for a job well done.”

“Today’s unanimous vote for full

approval from the Texas Board of

Nursing is the culmination of

two years work and represents

the end of the first chapter in the College

of Nursing’s history,” said Sharon A.

Wilkerson, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the

College of Nursing. “While extremely

proud of this accomplishment, we are

already looking forward to new challenges.”

Among these challenges are

development and implementation

of a graduate program, expansion

into additional regions of Texas to

accommodate demand, and growth

of programmatic areas to more fully

integrate into the community.

Dean Wilkerson explains that it is the

commitment to excellence demonstrated

by faculty, staff and students alike that

have made reaching this milestone a reality.

2

4

5

6

Our Growth and History

News & Notes

Page 2: Nursing Notes Summer 2010

2 | Nursingnotes | Summer 2010

Past, present and future …

Dean’s Note

Greetings,

I am pleased to have this opportunity to share some of the exciting news about the college with you. Most notably, our college received full approval from the Texas Board of Nursing (TBON) in April. We were very confident in our program given its October 2009 accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the phenomenal results of our first graduates on the NCLEX-RN exam. It is very satisfying to be recognized and approved by TBON to continue our good work and mission into the future.

The future is bright and holds great things. In 2012, the College of Nursing will admit its first graduate students. By introducing a graduate program, the College of Nursing will be even better positioned to meet all three key areas of its mission—knowledge, discovery service.

News of our success has spread

August2005

June2009

Health Science Center partners with the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) to provide an accelerated nursing program in the Corpus Christi and Bryan-College Station areas.

Classes begin for first full-time RN-BSN students.

TAMU System Board of Regents authorizes the Texas A&M Health Science Center

to seek approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for the

authority to plan a new nursing program.

College of Nursing Honor Society is formed.

March2005

March2009

Accreditation is granted by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

October2009

All inaugural Class of ’09 students successfully pass the NCLEX-RN exam.

February2010

July2008

December2009

Intial approval is granted by Texas Board of Nursing.

Classes begin for inaugural class of 22 generic and 22 accelerated students.

Commencement for inaugural accelerated students.

July2008

VISION The faculty of the College of Nursing believes that humans are unique, holistic and multidimensional beings who are deserving of respect and dignity. Human beings have a right to self-determination and to make informed choices. They also have a right to competent advocacy when their abilities for self-determination and choice are impaired. Persons are capable of deliberate action for health purposes, have free will, reflect upon their experiences, and attach meaning to their experiences and their environments. Nursing is the professional application of arts, skills and science to help the individuals, families and groups obtain their maximal state of well-being.

&Milestones Projections

Page 3: Nursing Notes Summer 2010

Knowledge, discovery, service …

May2012

June2010

February2011

Part-time RN-BSN students graduate.

First day of classes for students in Round Rock.

Sigma Theta Tau Internationalchapter established.

Dean’s Note

June2010

December2010

Classes begin for first part-time RN-BSN students.

First full-time RN-BSN class graduates.

Classes begin for MSN program.

First students at Round Rock campus graduate.

August2012

May2011

TBD

Doctoral program begins.

May2010

Inaugural generic students graduate.

and several regions of the state have expressed interest in having the College of Nursing open satellite cam-puses in their areas. We already have launched an accelerated track program in Round Rock and are actively considering new areas of growth, pending funding and faculty resources.

Nursing notes will be published quarterly, and I look forward to keeping you apprised of what is going on within the College of Nursing!

Until next time,

Sharon A. Wilkerson, Ph.D., R.N.Founding Dean

continued …

MISSION The mission of the College of Nursing is to educate professional nurses of today and leaders of tomorrow through the provision of excellent educational programs in nursing. The college will identify, attract and graduate students of high potential, especially those from groups who have been historically under represented in Texas health care. Furthermore, this mission will facilitate individuals, families and groups in achieving the maximum state of well-being through education of highly skilled nurses, research and service. The mission of the college will be enhanced through faculty contributions to community service, leadership, practice and research.

&Milestones Projections

Page 4: Nursing Notes Summer 2010

4 | Nursingnotes | Summer 2010

College of Nursing Graduates Ace the NCLEX-RN

In December 2009, the College of Nursing

held its first graduation and was pleased

to grant Bachelor of Science in Nursing

degrees to nineteen graduates. These

nineteen graduates held the key to the

future of the College of Nursing.

Entry into the practice of

nursing is regulated by the

licensing authorities within

each jurisdiction. To ensure

public protection, each

state requires a candidate

for licensure to pass an

examination that measures

the competencies needed to

perform safely and effectively as

a newly licensed, entry-level nurse. The

National Council Licensure Examination

for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is

used by state boards of nursing to assist in

making licensure decisions.

The Texas Board of Nursing requires

at least 80 percent of graduates to pass the

NCLEX-RN in order for a new college or

school of nursing to attain full approval.

In February, Dean Sharon A.

Wilkerson was informed

that all nineteen students

passed the NCLEX-RN,

giving the College of

Nursing an incredible

100 percent pass rate.

“We are very proud of

our inaugural class,” said Dean

Wilkerson. “They have set the bar

extremely high, and we look forward to

seeing what our graduates will accomplish

as professional nurses.”

Assess This!

100Percentage of College of Nursing

graduates who passed the NCLEX-RN from January–March 2010.

76National pass rate for all NCLEX-RN test takers from

January–March 2010

19Number of College of Nursing

graduates taking test

49,595Total number of test takers in January–March 2010

Page 5: Nursing Notes Summer 2010

Assess This!

33 New students

86 Returning students

40 Graduates (including May 2010)

3BSN options Offered:

Generic (Two-year program)

Accelerated (15-month program)

RN to BSN (12-month pro-gram, full-time

Graduate program coming in 2012.

Summer 2010 | Nursingnotes | 5

AlumniSpotlight

Bethany Schneider: NICU Nurse on the move

Nursing wasn’t the first

profession that came

to mind when Bethany

Schnieder was planning her

professional future, but in

hindsight, she recognizes

it should have been. After

completing a Bachelor

degree in Biology at Texas A&M, Bethany

began applying to Physician Assistant’s

schools. Prior to being accepted into a P.A.

program, she heard about the new College

of Nursing being developed by the Texas

A&M Health Science Center and imme-

diately applied and was accepted in the

inaugural class.

Bethany was a stand-out nursing

student and was the recipient of

the Dean’s Excellence Award at her

graduation. “I really enjoyed my time

at the College of Nursing. Classes were

small and it was a great environment

in which to learn. The entire faculty

was committed to my success.”

After graduation, Bethany accepted a

sixteen week internship at the Level IIIb

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

at North Central Baptist Hospital in

San Antonio. The Level IIIb facility has

provided her with a tremendous amount of

experience caring for premies and micro-

premies born with as few as 24 weeks in

the womb.

“I can’t imagine a better experience to

prepare me for taking care of these tiny

babies,” says Bethany, “The nurses here

are phenomenal and have

been extremely generous

in sharing their knowledge

with me.”

Bethany will complete

her internship in June

and while she is certain

she wants to be a NICU

nurse, she is not sure where life will

take her. When asked about her future,

Bethany states “I am getting married

later this month and I am not sure

where my fiancé will find a job. He

will complete his graduate degree in

Aerospace Engineering in December

and we will see where life takes us!”

Bethany Schneider (soon to be Bethany

Graves!) has known since childhood she

wanted to “take care of kids” when she

grew up. As one of six children, she never

imagined “taking care of kids” would come

in the form of taking care of the tiniest and

most fragile

of them all.

But, in

hindsight,

she is

exactly

where she

wanted

to be.

Page 6: Nursing Notes Summer 2010

6 | Nursingnotes | Summer 2010

Special Thanks to The MedIn April, The College Station Medical

Center generously donated $50,000 to the

College of Nursing. This gift represents

a history of giving and a continued

commitment to the College of Nursing on

the part of The Med. Their annual donation

of $50,000 supports various programs and

initiatives, and is much appreciated.

Interdisciplinary Team Wins CompetitionCollege of Nursing faculty members

Regina Bentley, associate director of

Academics Affairs and Kathryn Cochran,

assistant dean for Student Affairs

teamed up to coach an interdisciplinary

“Improving Medication Reconciliation”

student-team competition. Each team had

four students–one each from the colleges of

nursing, pharmacy, industrial engineering

and business. The funding for the student

competition was provided through

an HSC grant with the Annenberg

Foundation. Teams were tasked with

evaluating processes and recommending

improvements to reduce errors related to

medication administration in a hospital

environment. The teams were judged

based on a poster describing their findings,

a written report as well as a presentation of

the project before a panel of three judges.

The Bentley/Cochran team won the

competition and student members Emily

Shields from Nursing, Kristen Clancy

from Pharmacy, Fredrick Lou from

Business and Micheal Wetteland from

Engineering are to be congratulated for a

job well done.

Faculty Development WorkshopOn April 30, the College of Nursing

and the Seton Family of Hospitals

hosted the Central Texas Region Faculty

Development Workshop in Round Rock.

This workshop was the second in a series of

three and focused on the use of simulation

in an educational setting. Faculty from

nursing schools throughout Central Texas

were in attendance. This workshop series

is funded through a grant from the Texas

Workforce Commission.

W.F. Boy & Johnnie Hasskarl Humanism in Nursing AwardAt the May 2010 commencement, the

second recipient of the W.F. Boy & Johnnie

Hasskarl Humanism in Nursing Award

will be announced. This award honors the

nursing student in the graduating class

who has best demonstrated compassionate

care during the course of their education.

This award is generously underwritten

by Hospice Brazos Valley. Many thanks

to Hospice and the Hasskarl family for

developing and supporting this award.

Graduation DayOn Friday, May 21, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. in

the Annenberg Presidential Center, the

College of Nursing will host graduation for

the second half of its inaugural class. Please

join us in wishing these students farewell

and good luck in their future endeavors.

Welcome to the Incoming ClassIn July, the College of Nursing will admit

33 new students into its Generic Program.

The Generic Program provides the final two

years of course work required for a Bachelor

of Science in Nursing.

News&NotesMore Info?

For more information about the College of Nursing, please contact us at:

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing362 SRPH Administration Bldg.College Station, Texas 77843-1266

Office: (979) 862-8422 Fax: (979) 458-4358

nursing.tamhsc.edu