Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Accelerated nursing program ideal for career changers
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They come from science-related backgrounds, liberal arts, theatre, or business, but they have one thing in common. They all want to be nurses. Ten students at the University of Southern Indiana are taking a quick new route to a second career in nursing. They are the first class in an accelerated program for students who already have an undergraduate degree in another field. The second-degree accelerated nursing program offered by the School of Nursing and Health Professions is an innovative way to reach out to new student populations and meet the staffing needs of employers. “I‘ve cut four years into 16 months,” said Mike Beamer, one of the first to enroll in the new program. Dr. Ann White, assistant dean for nursing, said the school developed this program to give non-nurses an efficient and effective method to change careers. “In our admission and recruitment processes, we identified a group of people who had degrees, which meant they had completed all non-nursing courses,” she said. “With our current program, these students would require an additional four years to obtain a BSN degree because we have nursing courses in every year of our curriculum. The accelerated program gives these individuals a new option.” While students complete degree requirements in a short time frame, the program maintains the quality of nursing education. Students immediately concentrate on the nursing curriculum. They complete the same courses as students in the traditional program. Jeri Burger, instructor in nursing, supervises the clinical experiences of the non-nurses who want to change careers. “She spends considerable time with the students which we feel is important during the initial semester,” White said. The accelerated program also responds to a national and regional shortage of nurses. The local shortage is especially apparent at the end of each year, a traditional time for changing jobs or relocating. Often, few nurses are available to fill vacancies until a new class graduates in May. Students in the accelerated program will graduate in December. Those in the first class that began this semester will complete the program in December 2005. Beamer looks upon a career in nursing as a new challenge. He earned an associate degree in respiratory therapy in 1991 and a bachelor’s in psychology in 1992 at USI. “As a nurse, you take care of the whole patient,” he said. “Respiratory therapy is focused on one system. I’ve met that challenge and am ready for another one.” After attaining the bachelor’s degree, Beamer plans to pursue a master’s degree in nursing. His goal is to become an acute care nurse practitioner. Cynthia Jameson-Hayes earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and has job experience in engineering and business. Her decision to pursue a career in nursing is based on personal experience as well as job outlook. She cared for both her mother and father during long illnesses. “I have a real insight into what the families are going through,” she said. White said that area hospitals have been supportive of the program and are anticipating the new graduates. |
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