Overview:
Sumner College intends to open a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Program beginning in the Spring of 2023. The program will enroll cohorts of 24 students four times a year. The proposed BSN program will consist of twelve (12) terms of ten (10) weeks. The plan is to enroll the first cohort beginning February 6, 2023, with an anticipated graduation date of June 23, 2025. Sumner College currently provides a Registered Nurse to baccalaureate degree in nursing (RN- BSN) program that is accredited through The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) initially in January 20, 2021. The current term will expire December 31, 2026. There is also a current associate degree in nursing (ADN) program that began in 2013 and has proven successful. NCLEX pass rates over the past years have been well above 80%. Once we start enrolling students into the BSN program, we will no longer enroll students in the ADN program. Students in the ADN program will continue until the program is taught out. Sumner College graduates of the current associated degree program can articulate into the RN-BSN program provided by the college. The college has also secured articulation agreements for graduates of the ADN program wishing to continue their academic journey to obtain a BSN. Prior to opening the RN-BSN program, a survey was sent to a total of 40 clinical partners and advisory board members. Several responses showed that institutions either required a bachelor’s degree in nursing or it was preferred at the time of employment. Several institutions provided incentive for their registered nurses to attain a bachelor’s degree in nursing including assistance with tuition and a raise once achieved. Areas of learning in the curriculum that respondents noted as valuable to their organizations included, ethics, statistics and nursing research for evidence-based practice, intercultural communications, healthcare informatics, patient safety and continuous quality improvement, organizational and systems leadership, community and global health nursing, holistic health assessment and health promotion, and pathophysiology. In July 2021 another survey was sent out to clinical partner focusing on the proposed BSN program. Thirty-four practice cites participated in this survey. Responses included 65.65% of sites stated that the bachelor’s degree in nursing was the preferred credential for employment with their company. Ninety- seven percent responded that they would explore partnering with Sumner College to provide clinical opportunities for BSN students. One respondent wrote, “BSN is a future for most healthcare facilities.” To provide another avenue for clinical partners to provide input is through the Advisory board. The proposed BSN program was introduced to the advisory board on July 28, 2021, and again discussed on March 30, 2022. The board members reviewed the mission, goals, outcomes, and curriculum. The comments were positive. One member appreciated the inclusion of policy and regulation. Another felt it was solid and thorough.
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