Nursing school's first year finishes well

Motivated by the desire to introduce a full-fledged nursing program to the Willamette Valley, Western has recently added a Bachelor's degree in Nursing to its campus. With the aid of Ore. Senators Peter Courtney and Jackie Winters, both funds and space were made available for the new program. Teaming up with OHSU, this program - initiated in September of 2008 - has been going well during its first year. Within this year, 89 qualified students have applied for entrance into the program; the program currently has 27 admitted students and plans to admit an additional 32 students by fall term 2009. "Prior to our arrival, few options existed for individuals in this area who were seeking to become a nurse," said OHSU Administrative Coordinator Hilary Holman-Kidd. "Potential nursing students might attend Chemeketa to earn an ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing), or they could complete WOU's Pre-Nursing program. Western recognized that there was a local need for a Bachelor's program that wasn't being filled by the current options, and they sought to fill that need." In addition to new classes on campus, the inclusion of a Nursing Program at Western has opened up several exciting opportunities both around campus and within the Monmouth community. Nursing students were able to take part in Western's Health Fair this February, receiving the chance to meet with several guest lecturers - including OHSU Program Director, Jean Donovan - and visiting local elementary schools to educate students on health promotion. "Our partnership with WOU and the local community has been terrifically successful so far," Holman-Kidd said. "In less than one year, we have built a number of clinical partnerships in the mid-Valley community, including Salem Hospital, Central School District and local long term care facilities." National Nurses Week, which takes place each year between May 6 and May 12, opened up even greater opportunities for nursing students. Nurses Week has traditionally been a time to honor not only all past and present nurses, but to give special recognition to Florence Nightingale and her enormous contributions to the modern nursing profession. With this year's theme of "Building a Healthy America," Holman-Kidd said the week "recognize[ed] nurses for their value as public health educators and honor[ed] the role they play in caring for America's population." The celebration took place throughout the week at Western and included guest lecturers, health promotion activities and a school-wide assembly to honor all nurses and health educators. "Because nurses embrace a holistic perspective in providing care to their patients, they fulfill a much needed role in today's fragmented health care system," Holman-Kidd said. "Their function in delivering health care has historically been minimized or distorted by the media. Nurses are political advocates, researchers, teachers, administrators, patient advocates and caregivers. Honoring them may help to incite more young men and women to enter into this important and diverse field of study." Holman-Kidd emphasized the shortage in qualified nurses within the Unites States, contributing this fact to a lack of qualified nursing programs within the nation. "To teach in a college nursing program, one must have a Masters degree in Nursing," she said. "Many nurses with this credential have retired, and too few nurses have sought this advanced degree in recent years. As of now, the average age of nursing faculty is 55, and many of them will soon retire. Additionally, a shortage of clinical sites, classrooms, and laboratories are all limiting factors that prevent schools of nursing from expanding to accept the many qualified applicants who wish to be part of the program." Though there are still a few kinks in OHSU's Nursing Program at Western, Holman-Kidd said she believes these minor issues will soon be addressed and solved without a problem. "The strong commitment from both OHSU and WOU to ensure the success of this partnership has enabled us to work cooperatively to address any concerns quickly and smoothly," Holman-Kidd stated. "The small-campus culture of WOU and its helpful staff and administrators have made it a delight for us to work toward our common goal."