When the critical need for nurses became apparent, Mansfield University answered the challenge by increasing the marketing and visibility of its nursing program. As a result of those efforts, Mansfields nursing school admissions are now at their maximum and the program has a waiting list.
Now, in answer to the question, “who will teach the nurses of the future,” Mansfield has added a Master of Science in Nursing program, to be offered online beginning in fall 2004.
(l-r) Student Nurse Caroline Nichols and Professor Janeen Sheehe review recording keeping procedures. Sheehe also serves as the Department Chair of MU’s Robert Packer Department of Health Sciences and Physical Activities.
“Our masters in nursing program will prepare professional nurses to become nurse educators,” said Janeen Sheehe, chair of Mansfields Robert Packer Department of Health Sciences and Physical Activities. “Graduates will be able to design curricula based on current knowledge of nursing, teaching, learning, and evaluation. They will be able to assess program outcomes, be effective members of the academic community, and develop and use leadership strategies that lead to improvement of health care. The program is designed specifically for professional nurses seeking an advanced degree while maintaining current employment.”
The Mansfield program takes two years to complete and is designed for working nurses. “Being totally on-line is a major advantage for nurses who can take the classes day or night,” Sheehe said.
The program is limited to 30 students.
Associate Professor Michele Garrett instructs a nursing class at Mansfield’s facility at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA.
The need for nursing educators is growing at a rapid rate, Sheehe said. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects there will be more than one million vacant nursing positions by 2010. Efforts to recruit nurses into the profession and to prepare additional nurse educators are needed.
Sheehe cited The National League for Nursings position statement, entitled “The Preparation of Nurse Educators” (Nursing Education Perspectives, September/October 2002. Vol. 23, No. 5), strongly encourages “the nursing education community to engage in an immediate and focused effort to provide increased opportunities in graduate programs to prepare faculty.” Furthermore, “the National League for Nursing asserts that the nurse educator role requires specialized preparation . Each academic unit in nursing must have a cadre of experts in nursing education who provide the leadership needed to advance nursing education, conduct pedagogical research, and contribute to the ongoing development of the science of nursing.”
(l-r) Student Nurse Michelle Gloeckler and Associate Professor Jane McGuire discuss the day’s work.
“This M.S. in Nursing is designed to meet a critical state-wide and national need for nurse educators as documented by the National League of Nursing, member schools of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Nursing Programs Association and the U.S. Department of Labor,” MU President John Halstead said in announcing the new program.
“When we advertised for a job which required a MSN, we were lucky to have two qualified people apply,” Sheehe said. “So we decided to create a program, enabling us to deepen the pool.”
Applicants to the Mansfield program must have a BSN and a 3.0 grade point undergraduate average to be admitted. They must also be licensed as a registered nurse, or be licensed by the end of the first summer semester.
