ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY

Transcription

1 ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF NURSING THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW SELF-STUDY PORTFOLIO GRADUATE NURSING PROGRAM Submitted By Cathy Williams, DNP, RN November 27,

2 Table of Content Section I. General Program Information Ia) Ib) Ic) Id) Ie) If) Ig) Ih) Ij) Program Mission 4 Program Strategic Plan...4 Rationale and Data Supporting Program Relationship to Societal Needs, Employment Opportunities, and Graduate School Admissions...6 General Curriculum Structure 8 Tracks and Concentrations Offered..12 Accreditation Garnered..12 Collaborative Relationship with Other Programs and Community Partners Specific Centrality to University s Mission and Strategic Plan...12 Program Review last findings...12 Section II. Program Productivity IIa) IIb) IIc) IId) IIe) IIf) IIg) IIh) IIi) Enrollment of Upper Division Majors in the Program..14 Annual Master s Degree Productivity of the Program..14 Program Completion Efficiency and Graduation Rate..14 Efficiency and Clarity of the Program s Course Requirements 15 Course Offerings Required for Program Completion..15 Enrollment in Program s Required Courses..16 Diversity of the Program s Upper Division Majors and Graduates..16 Instructional Productivity of FTE Faculty 17 Program s Contribution to University Mission.17 2

3 Section III. Program Quality IIIa) IIIb) IIIc) IIId) IIIe) IIIf) IIIg) IIIh) IIIi) IIIj) IIIk) IIIl) Quality of the Program as Defined by Program Guidelines and/or Accreditation Standards in the Discipline...19 Quality: Achievement of Program s Student Learning Outcomes 19 Quality of the Program s Responsiveness to Change and Improvement..21 Quality of the Faculty 22. Quality of campus facilities, equipment, learning support resources, and practicum placements supporting the program..23 Quality of Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors...24 Quality of the University s Annual Financial Investment in the Program s Operation and Growth..24 Quality of Program Advising, Enrollment Management and Student Services for this Program.25 Quality of Diversity and Global Perspective in the Curriculum, Faculty, and Students of the Program...26 Quality of Endowments, Scholarships, Gifts, Grants and Sponsors for the Program..27 Quality: Program Honors and Awards..27 Quality: Exceptional Achievements and Honors of the Program s Students, Graduates, and Faculty 27 IIIm) General Success of the Program s Graduates...28 IIIn) IIIo) Stakeholder Satisfaction with the Program...28 Selectivity and Academic Achievement of Students and Graduates in the Program 30 Section IV. Program Viability..29 Section V. Executive Summary

4 ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF NURSING THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW SELF-STUDY PORTFOLIO GRADUATE NURSING PROGRAM Section I. General Program Information Ia) Program Mission The mission of the Department of Nursing is to provide comprehensive nursing education to a cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender diverse student population consistent with the mission of Albany State University (ASU). The Department of Nursing seeks to foster the growth and development of the region, state, and nation through teaching, research, quality health care delivery, and public service. In collaboration with academic and healthcare institutions and state agencies, the Department of Nursing is completely committed to developing and enhancing programs and services to improve the health and quality of life of the citizens of southwest Georgia. The primary mission of the Department of Nursing is to prepare safe, competent, effective, and efficient professional nurses to provide or facilitate health care to diverse populations and underserved communities. Integral to this mission is a supportive and diverse faculty delivering comprehensive and technologically enhanced didactic and experiential learning activities. These learning activities support the holistic development of students as learners, leaders, and contributing members of society, who embody the ideals of professional nursing in a global society. The completion of these learning activities will prepare the students for success on the national licensing or certification examination(s), demonstrating competency in the delivery of evidence based nursing care. (Revised May, 2011) Ib) Program Strategic Plan Department of Nursing Goals and Strategies to Support ASU Strategic Plan Goal 1: Strengthen the Historic Mission Strengthen the historic mission and role of the University while proactively serving the diverse educational needs of the region and state. Strategy 2 Enhance and maintain the role of the University as a leader in providing quality educational experiences for the academic development of students. In the department of nursing, the Family Nurse Practitioner Program (FNP) has maintained a greater than 95% success on national certification exams over the past five years. The nurse practitioners serve as midlevel providers delivering quality health care to clients in the southwest and southeast region. Strategy 4 Implement an effective enrollment management and marketing program to recruit, retain, and graduate students of diverse backgrounds. 4

5 The department of nursing participates annually in hospital recruitment fairs in various cities including Atlanta. Brochures for marketing have been developed. The graduate majors meet with the chair or the Graduate coordinator to develop a plan of study to assist in successful matriculation through the Nurse Educator (NE) and/or the FNP program. Goal 2: Advance Southwest Georgia Use the University s intellectual resources to advance the educational, economic, social and cultural opportunities to the citizens of Southwest Georgia. Strategy 1 Establish collaborative relationships with other educational institutions, public and private agencies, and business and industry, to enhance and expand programs and services for the mutual benefit of the University and the region. The department of nursing has established Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with Albany Technical College, Darton College, Bainbridge College, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Tift General Hospital, Palmyra Hospital, Six of the health districts in the state of Georgia, and a host of other institutions to expand programs to benefit the region and increase diversity in the health care workforce. Nurse Educators and Family Nurse Practitioners intern with the above listed organizations and several physician practices. Strategy 3 Provide outstanding public service, life-long learning, technical assistance, and economic development to improve the quality of life in Southwest Georgia. The department seeks and obtains grants to assist in providing funding to increase the opportunity for minority students to obtain graduate degrees. The FNP students provide community focused health fairs at least once a year. The Students graduating from the NE program are 100% successful in obtaining a job as a professional nurse within 6 months of graduation. Students graduating from the FNP program who successfully complete the national certification exam are successful in obtaining a job within six months of completion of certification. Strategy 4 Offer a comprehensive array of University programs that advance the educational, economic, social, and cultural opportunities of the region. The graduate department of nursing offers a completely online FNP program and NE program. The online FNP program received the 2005 Regents Teaching Excellence Award Departments/Programs on the 11 th day of January of The Board of Regents approved the establishment of the RN-MSN accelerated academic program in September of The program allows the Associate degree prepared nurse to enter the MSN program at an accelerated rate. The students entered in 2006 and graduated spring Goal 3: Build a Stronger University Community Build a stronger University community by enhancing organizational capacity, improving human resource development, and increasing customer satisfaction. Strategy 4 Provide professional development opportunities for staff and faculty to remain on the cutting edge in their areas. 5

6 Funds are budgeted annually for faculty development. Faculty attend workshops in-state and out of state. Educational opportunities provided include web-cast programs, online Continuing Education Articles, face to face workshops on campus and local community sites. Faculty members maintain clinical skills expertise through practice and annual updates. Albany State University allows faculty members to participate in clinical practice once a week to remain current with clinical skills, medical evolving-technology, and evidence-based practice. Faculty members are also encouraged to attend a clinical and/or faculty development conference yearly. Strategy 5 Expand student, faculty and staff recognition programs to reward exceptional performance. The department of nursing recognizes graduate student leaders. Each year one graduate student is selected to receive the Patricia Starck Former Chair MSN Leadership Award. Each year a representative from the department of Nursing is awarded the teacher of the year certificate or plaque for the department. Faculty members are selected based on institutional criteria, student votes, and chair recommendation. Goal 4: Provide State-of-the-Art Technology Provide and maintain state-of-the-art technology infrastructure that supports the University s mission and goals. Strategy 1 Provide training and support for students involved in distance learning and online courses. New students entering the graduate program are scheduled to attend orientation via Wimba. Wimba is an online learning software application and it provides services to the education industry. During the orientation class, graduate students are instructed on requirements for the programs, policies, and procedures for the programs. Students with difficulties are identified the first week. Remediation is immediate in this process. Online chat, , and Wimba sessions are used to orient students and communicate with students throughout the course. Strategy 5 Monitor the technology infrastructure to ensure adequate support for training, maintenance and availability of the latest innovations. The graduate nursing students are completely at a distance. The department of nursing utilizes streaming videos in order for the students to download lesson to their smart phones or ipods. Students have a choice to print out power points or download the streaming videos. Ic) Rationale and Data Supporting Program Relationship to Societal Needs, Employment Opportunities, and Graduate School Admissions The graduate nursing program since its inception has had a formidable impact on reducing the undersupply of nurse educators and primary care providers in southwest Georgia (SOWEGA), with more than 80% of the graduates teaching or practicing in SOWEGA. More importantly, ASU FNP graduates have improved the distribution of primary care providers in southwest Georgia, since most of the graduates have selected some of the less populous areas in the region to practice. 6

7 The majority of ASU graduates are life-long residents of the communities in which they have chosen to practice. Recruitment and retention of minority students from remote geographic SOWEGA regions, as well as improved access to advanced nursing education are important strategies aimed at reducing health care shortages in SOWEGA. Furthermore, increasing the number of minority and culturally concurrent primary care providers and nurse educators is essential to decreasing healthcare disparities for the predominantly African American population within this 38 county SOWEGA area. Geographic distance from a higher education institution and the time it takes to complete traditional bachelors and masters nursing degrees are identified as major barriers to conventional advanced nursing study. The distance-learning strategies have proven to be a successful alternative to convey program content to students who are geographically isolated. Albany State University as a historically black college and university (HBCU) has a long and remarkable track record for recruiting, retaining and graduating minorities. In addition, the MSN-FNP program has stellar 16 year American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) certification pass rates of greater than 94% (see Table 1). The students graduating from the NE program are 100% successful in obtaining a job as an educator within one year of graduating from the program (see Table 2). Over 20% of the graduates from the MSN program have obtained or are currently pursuing doctoral degrees. TABLE 1 FNP Graduates Taking Certification Exam Year of Graduation Total # of Graduates Number of students who took the certification exam and passed on the first attempt (1student never took exam due to Percent of FNP Graduates Employed within 1 year of passing the certification exam 8 100% illness) % % % % TABLE 2 NE Graduates Year of Graduation Total # of Graduates Percent of NE Graduates Employed within 1 year of Graduation from Program % % % % N/A 7

8 Id) General Curriculum Structure The Masters of Science in Nursing program contains three tracks. The tracks consist of the Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, and the RN-MSN Accelerated track. The RN- MSN may choose the FNP concentration or NE concentration (see Tables 4-7). The RN to MSN concentration provides associate degree registered nurses (RNs) an opportunity to complete a graduate degree with two bridge semesters in which the student takes undergraduate and graduate courses followed by the remaining semesters of graduate coursework. The two undergraduate courses specific to the RN-MSN concentration are NURS 4413 and NURS TABLE 4 RN TO MSN ACCELERATED-FNP CURRICULUM PATTERN FALL SEMESTER YEAR 1 SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 1 Must have completed any other undergraduate coursework prior to beginning in spring (next) semester. Must have completed undergraduate health assessment and pathophysiology prior to beginning coursework next semester. NURS 4413 RN-MSN Transitions (6-0) NURS 5100 Adv. Health Assessment ( ) NURS 4131 Research (3-0) MATH 2411 Basic Stats (3-0) SUMMER SEMESTER YEAR 1 NURS 4240 Community Health (3-8) NURS 4346 RN-MSN Seminar (2-0) NURS 5111 Nursing Theory Development (3-0) FALL SEMESTER YEAR 2 SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 2 NURS 5410 Intro to Primary Car. 4(2-8) NURS 5910 Pharmacology in Advanced Practice (3-0) NURS 5210 Advanced Pathophysiology 3(3-0) NURS 5421 Primary Care of Children (3-8) NURS 5120 Advanced Nursing Research (3-0) NURS 5220 Cultural Diversity (2-0) SUMMER SEMESTER YEAR 2 NURS 6101 Primary Care of Women (2-8) FALL SEMESTER YEAR 3 SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 3 NURS 6211 Primary Care of Adults.5(3-8) NURS 6311 Primary Care Issues... 2(2-0) NURS 6820 Practicum (0-16) NURS 6920 Thesis/Scholarly Project 3 (3-0) 8

9 TABLE 5 RN TO MSN ACCELERATED-NE CURRICULUM PATTERN GRADUATE CURRICULUM PATTERN SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 1 FALL SEMESTER YEAR 1 Must have completed any other undergraduate NURS 4413 RN-MSN Transitions coursework prior to beginning in spring (next) (6-0) semester. Must have completed undergraduate NURS 5100 Adv. Health Assessment..3(2.5-.5) health assessment and pathophysiology prior to NURS 4131 Research (3-0) beginning coursework next semester. MATH 2411 Basic Stats (3-0) SUMMER SEMESTER YEAR 1 NURS 4240 Community Health (3-8) NURS 4346 RN-MSN Seminar (2-0) NURS 5111 Nursing Theory Development (3-0) FALL SEMESTER YEAR 2 SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 2 NURS 6001 Instructional Strategies and Evaluation. 3(3-0) NURS 5910 Pharmacology in Advanced Practice..3(3-0) NURS 6001 Instructional Strategies & Evaluation.... 3(3-0) NURS 5120 Adv. Nursing Research.....3(3-0) NURS 5220 Cultural Diversity (2-0) SUMMER SEMESTER YEAR 2 FALL SEMESTER YEAR 3 SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 3 NURS 5621 Adv. Practice Nursing I (3-8) NURS 6920 Thesis/Scholarly Project (3-0) NURS 6622 Adv. Practice Nursing II....5(3-8) NURS 6620 Adv. Teaching Practicum.. 3(0-12) 9

10 TABLE 6 NURSE EDUCATOR GRADUATE CURRICULUM PATTERN SUMMER SEMESTER NURS 5111 Nursing Theory Development...3 FALL SEMESTER YEAR 1 SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 1 CORE NURS 5210 Advanced Pathophyiology...3 NURS 5910 Advanced Pharmacology... 3 CONCENTRATION NURS 5950 Curriculum Development in Nursing... 3 TOTAL FOR SEMESTER 9 CORE NURS 5120 Advanced Nursing Research. 3 NURS 5220 Family Diversity in Vulnerable Communities.2 CONCENTRATION NURS 6001 Instructional Strategies in Nursing. 3 NURS 5621 Advanced Practice Nursing. 5 TOTAL FOR SEMESTER 13 SUMMER SEMESTER No required courses FALL SEMESTER YEAR 2 SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 2 CONCENTRATION CONCENTRATION NURS 6622 Advanced Nursing Practice II 5 NURS 6620 Advanced Teaching TOTAL FOR SEMESTER 5 Practicum....3 NURS 6920 Thesis/Scholarly Project 3 TOTAL FOR SEMESTER 6 TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS GRADUATE NURSE EDUCATOR ELECTIVES: NURS 6000 Directed Study variable hours 10

11 TABLE 7 - FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER GRADUATE CURRICULUM PATTERN SUMMER SEMESTER NURS 5100 Advanced Health Assessment NURS 5111 Nursing Theory Development FALL SEMESTER YEAR 1 SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 1 CORE NURS 5210 Advanced Pathophysiology. 3 CONCENTRATION NURS 5410 Introduction to Family Primary Care...4 NURS 5910 Pharmacology in Advanced Practice.3 CORE NURS 5120 Advanced Nursing Research..3 NURS 5220 Family Diversity in Vulnerable Communities..2 CONCENTRATION NURS 5421 Primary Care of Children TOTAL FOR SEMESTER 10 TOTAL FOR SEMESTER 10 SUMMER SEMESTER NURS 6101 Primary Care of Women FALL SEMESTER YEAR 2 SPRING SEMESTER YEAR 2 CONCENTRATION NURS 6211 Primary Care in Adults..5 NURS 6310 Prim Care Issues & Hlth Promotion Communities..2 TOTAL FOR SEMESTER 7 CONCENTRATION NURS 6820 Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum NURS 6920 Thesis/Scholarly Project.3 TOTAL FOR SEMESTER 7 TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER ELECTIVES: Optional 11

12 Ie) Tracks and Concentrations Offered The tracks offered in the Graduate Nursing Program include: 1. RN MSN 2. MSN Family Nurse Practitioner 3. MSN Nurse Educator If) Accreditation Garnered Albany State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) as a Level IV institution. Nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). Ig) Collaborative Relationship with Other Programs and Community Partners The graduate department has contracts with all local hospitals and health departments within 200 mile radius. Thus online students can have clinical experiences within their community. The collaboration with private and public agency provides students with experience and opportunities to intern. MOU s have been established with facilities in Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky for out of state online students. Ih) Specific Centrality to University s Mission and Strategic Plan The Nursing Department philosophy is congruent with the ASU mission as both emphasize importance of graduating a diverse student body able to positively impact the quality of life for the SOWEGA citizens and communities. Both address the importance of high quality education from diverse, competent, innovative, and engaging faculty, facilitating the use of technology with online and on-campus teaching/learning, and both address the importance of developing collaborative partnerships within the community. In addition, both state a firm commitment to meet the changing expectations of diverse collegiate and community constituencies. The Masters in Nursing program is central to the university mission in its impact on the community through providing much needed quality advanced practice health care providers and nurse educators. The potential for greater contributions as the student population and faculty scholarship grow, supports the need for greater investment in and support for this program The strategic plan for the department of nursing is framed from the overall strategic plan for the university with the four goals addressed individually over the past five years: (see Ib) Ij) What were the findings of the program s last program review and how have they been addressed? The last Comprehensive program review results were received in March of The results of the program review did not individually provide data specifically to the MSN program. However, the report stated that all programs reviewed during the 2006 period used clear data to clarify claims and support claims. 12

13 In the 2006 NLNAC report, ASU department of nursing received commendations on the strong support of the university mission, nursing leadership, strong support from University Administration, experiential qualification of the faculty and well-designed plan for educational effectiveness. Recommendations for improvement included an increase in scholarship from the faculty. Since the last review two faculty members have written book chapters, one faculty has published a research article, one faculty member obtained a Doctorate degree, and several grants have been written since the last visit. Several faculty members have attended conferences to enhance knowledge and skills. In 2009, SACS recommended an increase in the number of doctoral prepared faculty. To date the department struggles to attain and maintain doctoral prepared faculty. The department currently has two opening in which they hope to fill with a doctoral prepared faculty. There is a severe shortage in nursing faculty members due to aging of nursing and the decreased supply of nursing. The salary for faculty is much less than what can be earned in the acute setting. The graduate department has commandeered a grant which can supplement graduate faculty salaries for additional responsibilities and duties. 13

14 Section II. Program Productivity IIa) Enrollment of Upper Division Majors in the Program Student tracking for enrollment was provided by data used for the first course in the graduate curriculum: NUR 5111 (Theory previous listed as NURS 5110). The number of students enrolling in the graduate program at ASU has increased tremendously from 2003 to There have been a total of 88 graduates over the past five years. Since 2010, the number of students accepted into the FNP program has increased from 15 to 30 (see Table 8). Year of Enrollment TABLE 8 Graduate Enrollment & Graduation Numbers Number enrolled into Year of graduation Graduate nursing program Number of Students graduating (non-cohort related) IIb) Annual Master s Degree Productivity of the Program The graduate program of nursing has graduated 88 students over the past 5 years. A total of 98 students entered the program over the past 5 years. The graduation rate for this non cohort group for the past five years is 89.75%. The number of students graduating appears to be trending downward especially compared to the number of students admitted. IIc) Program Completion Efficiency and Graduation Rate The Graduation rate for the fulltime Masters in Nursing students is the percentage of students graduating from the program within three (3) years after admission to the graduate Roles and Theory nursing course by Cohort. The average graduation rate for the Masters student over the past five years was 87.4% (see Table 9). 14

15 Table 9- Graduation Rate by Cohort Admission YEAR ADMITTED WITHDRAWN Totals 7 (admitted fall 2003) 13 (admitted fall 2004) 14 (admitted spring 2005) 11 (admitted fall 2005) 17 (admitted fall 2006) 16 (admitted spring 2007) 20 (admitted fall 2007 TOTAL COHORT (Returning & Withdrawals) GRADUATED GRADUATION RATE % % % % % % IId) Efficiency and Clarity of the Program s Course Requirements To ensure efficiency and clarity of the nursing program requirements, graduate nursing majors are provided an advisor to develop a plan of study prior to registering for any graduated nursing courses. The curriculum pattern and admission requirements are reviewed (see Tables 4-7). The students maintain the same advisor as they progress through the program. Advisement is provided throughout each semester and prior to preregistration. Advisement for the online learners is completed by , phone calls and occasionally in person. IIe) Frequency and Sequencing of Course Offerings Required for Program Completion The RN-MSN transition courses are taught once a year. The students are accepted into the FNP program in the fall of each year. The NE program admits a new cohort every other year. The NE changed to every other year in 2008 due to low enrollment. The prerequisite core courses are taught at least twice in a calendar year with the exception of NURS 5220 (Family Diversity in Vulnerable Communities) which is currently only taught in the spring semester. 15

16 IIf) Enrollment in Program s Required Courses The courses required by the graduate program of nursing are offered and taught by the department of nursing based on the curriculum pattern. The RN-MSN student may require Math 2411(Statistics) which is taught every semester. The service courses do not hinder the advancement of the student. The FNP program is extremely popular and has a waiting list for admission. The FNP acceptance number is impacted by number of clinical sites that will intern students and number of faculty to teach the required courses. IIg) Diversity of the Program s Upper Division Majors and Graduates The MSN program provides education to students from diverse backgrounds. The program is designed to graduate a diverse student body to positively impact the quality of life for the southwest Georgia citizens and communities. Table ten lists the graduates based on number, race, and gender. Table 10- Graduates by Race and Gender Year Number Race F M of students Black = Over 91% of graduates were female. Fifty White = eight percent of the graduates were White Hispanic =0 0 0 and 42% of the graduates were Black. Asian = Black = Over 78.5% of the graduates were female. White = Twenty- one percent of the graduates were Hispanic =0 0 0 male. Fifty percent of the graduates were Asian = White; forty two percent were Black with an additional 7% of the students being Asian. One hundred percent of the male graduates were White Black =3 3 0 Over 88% of graduates were female and 12% White = male. Eighty eight percent of the graduates Hispanic =0 0 0 were White and the remaining 12% were Asian = Black. One hundred percent of the male graduates were White Black = Over 85.6% of the students were female and White = % were male. Fifty two percent of the Hispanic =0 0 0 graduates were White and 48 % were Black. Asian = Sixty six percent of the males were White with the other 33.3% being Black Black = One hundred percent of graduates were female. Eighty- one percent of the graduates were White and 19% were Black. White = Hispanic =0 0 0 Asian =

17 IIh) Instructional Productivity of FTE Faculty in the Program s Home Department The total student credit hours for the MSN program over the past five years were 4,100. The total faculty full time equivalents (FTEs) utilized for courses for the past five years were Table 11 provide a breakdown by year of the student credit hours taught and Table 12 provides a breakdown by year of the number of FTEs used to teach the courses. The FTE s used for teaching met the standards required by NONPF for faculty course load and clinical requirements. Eighty percent of the educators teaching in the graduate program were fulltime. Table 11- Total Student Credit Hours Generated by Course Level and Subject Years Total student credit hours Table 12- Total Faculty Full Time Equivalent by Course Level and Subject Years Faculty FTE by course level Over the past five years the faculty teaching in the MSN program: 1. Obtained yearly grants for graduate student training-ship from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). 2. Published two peer reviewed journal articles. 3. Chaired or were members on 88 graduate thesis committees. 4. Participated as members of NLN, ANCC and NOPH. 5. One member served as the Ambassador for NLNAC for the past three years. 6. Two faculty members actively writing text books with chapter publication. IIi) Program s Contribution to University Mission The department of nursing is progressive in offering programs to educate students to become outstanding contributors to society and to improve the quality of life in southwest Georgia. Congruent with the University Mission, programs offered by the department of nursing produce highly qualified practitioner and educators who provide culturally sensitive care to a racial and ethnic diverse population. The Graduate Program received institutional and board approval to develop an RN-MSN Accelerated program in 2006 with the first graduates completing the program in The online initiative has increased access to and interest in the RN-MSN program by area institutions and nurses resulting in a 40% increase in admissions to the master s program. The Graduate Program FNP and NE programs are taught completely at a distance to allow flexibility with scheduling and leveraging technology. 17

18 The program has provided masters-prepared nurses for Georgia and the country at a time of nursing shortage, primary health care provider shortages, and health care disparities. The graduate program primarily prepares nurses for southwest Georgia and has had an impact on the diversity of nurses in SOWEGA by adding over 27 minority advance practice nurses to meet primary practice and nursing academia needs. 18

19 Section III. Program Quality IIIa) Quality of the Program as Defined by Program Guidelines and/or Accreditation Standards in the Discipline. The National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) evaluators noted that the curricula for the MSN programs are designed by the nursing faculty and flow from the department mission. Review of course syllabi confirms that the organizational framework is evident in all course syllabi. The curriculum designs are based on national standards established by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the American Nurses Association (ANA), and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty (NONPF). Five essential program outcomes provide the basis for all course work and are utilized for course development and clinical evaluation tools. Course outcomes increase in complexity across levels and learning activities are diverse and reflect opportunities that challenge students. Since the NLNAC review, a few changes have been made to the curriculum to update content in order to remain current with practice in the healthcare setting. The MSN curriculum for the Family Nurse Practitioner Program and the Nurse Educator Program provides evidence of the use of the adult learning theory approaches and encourages independent learning in a web-based distance format. Preceptors are utilized for clinical practice along with intermittent faculty supervision on a face to face basis. Students are prepared to take the national certification examination. The online format has been maintained for students due to feedback indicating this medium is preferable for working professionals. Due to limited opportunity for workshops on skills such as suturing and x-ray interpretation, periodic workshops on significant skills have been added back to the program. Feedback from the most recent (summer 2011) workshop revealed student comments supporting this approach to skill building and a desire to have mandatory workshops announced as soon as possible to facilitate scheduling of work hours to accommodate attendance, particularly for outof-state students. The currency of course content is maintained through review by fulltime and part-time graduate faculty who are practicing in the health care facilities. NLNAC Standards 4.0, particularly 4.1 and 4.2 indicate the importance of curriculum content that is current and appropriate for the practice setting. This standard was met during the 2005 NLNAC evaluation and has been maintained through regular faculty review and feedback from practitioners in clinical settings in which our students and graduates practice. IIIb) Quality: Achievement of Program s Student Learning Outcomes The program outcome of evidence-based practice includes knowledge of nursing theory and research. While all masters courses address these content areas, the Research course and the Roles and Theory course carry this content to a larger extent than other courses. Thus, all Masters level courses provide opportunities for nursing students to obtain the competencies needed for their Masters concentrations. The graduation rate and excellent pass rates on the certification exam for those students in the FNP program support the conclusion that students in the program are achieving the learning outcomes (see Table 13). While employer surveys have been sent, poor return rates have provided minimum data. 19

20 TABLE 13- Masters of Nursing Graduation Rate YEAR ADMITTED WITHDRAWN Totals 7 (admitted 2003) 13 admitted 2004) (fa) admitted 2005) 17 admitted 2006) 16(sp)+20 admitted 2007) TOTAL COHORT (Returning & Withdrawals) GRADUATED GRADUATION RATE % % % % % % Graduation rates: Albany State University uses the Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System (IPEDS) definition of graduation rates. The graduation rate is determined using the number of first-time students who registered in the program, minus those students who withdrew prior to the end of the drop-add period as the cohort group. Those students in the cohort group who graduate within 150% of the expected time are included in the graduation rate. Table 13 shows five years of graduation rates for the Master s degree student in the ASU CSHP Nursing Department. Master s program graduation rate The Graduation rate for the fulltime Masters in Nursing students is the percentage of students graduating from the program within three (3) years after admission to the graduate Roles and Theory nursing course. The average graduation rate for the Masters student over the past five years was 87.4%. This graduation rate is well above the expected level of achievement stated in the Master Plan of Evaluation and represents an increase from the rate reported in the last CPR report (85%). Concerns decreased about the dip in the graduation rate in 2005 (57.1%) when an increase was noted over the following years. The tendency for life changes in the cohort group, most of whom are women who experience lifestyle changes due to husband relocation, divorce, pregnancy, or family tragedy is noted to cause students to move in and out of 20

21 part-time status. We will continue to follow any trend of decreasing graduation rates for master s students, and to examine the possible reasons for the decline, possibly through exit interviews. If indicated to account for student s shifts in status, the definition used to define the cohort group will be examined and revised as indicated with assistance from The Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness. Performance on Licensure/Certification Exams All master s program concentrations result in graduates who are eligible to take certification examinations in the area of specialization, if one is offered. The masters nursing students in the FNP program are the primary group sitting for certification examination each year, followed by the Nurse Educator graduates who as of 2006 could sit for certification after teaching for a minimum of 2 years full time teaching experience. Two Nurse Educator graduates have sat for the exam and successfully completed it. The pass rate for the FNP graduating classes for the past five years has continued the impressive record set in the prior ten years (averaging 90% or above), with an average pass rates for first-time writers of the exam of 94.5%. This pass rate is well above the expected level of achievement (90%) designated on the Master Plan of Evaluation and in the Department s Strategic Plan, and above the national FNP certification pass rates (93.07 in 2009) as well. (See table 14). TABLE 14: FNP Master s Graduates PASSING RATES FOR FIRST TIME TAKERS Licensure Exam Year % Pass # Graduate s 1/1/ /31/ # Pass # Fail 1 did not take 1/1/ /31/ /1/08-12/31/ /1/09-12/31/ /1/10-12/31/ AVERAGE % IIIc) Quality of the Program s Responsiveness to Change and Improvement The most significant program improvements included: the consistent requirement for use of Typhon a software package for recording and reporting of patient encounters due to student and preceptor queries about acuity of patients being seen. This allowed for a record of all patient encounters in on access point for quick review and reporting. the use of Wimba for student practice of dictation of patient status and the 21

22 use of electronic records. required on campus skills workshops to strengthen student skills in suturing, splinting and casting, and reading of x-rays. These changes were made as a result of input from preceptors evaluation reports and student evaluations of courses. the addition of a module on data analysis using SPSS being placed on the web as a resource for graduate student research skill enhancement in response to student concerns about thesis development and their data analysis skill deficits. Faculty are preparing to use of the module in the Typhon software packet that allows for evaluation of courses, preceptors, clinical sites and faculty by students, and input from preceptors. This will eventually replace paper evaluations and allow for better data management. One significant improvement related to student access to the master s program was the initiation of an RN to MSN track, approved by the Board of Regents in 2006, for the associate degree student who prefers to move into graduate education at an accelerated pace. The first students entered the Masters level courses in 2006 and graduated in This program meets a need in the associate degree graduate population and has grown at a remarkable level with a certification pass rate (100% in 2010) that is exceptional, as is noted with the traditional Master s Degree program track. IIId) Quality of the Faculty There are 6 full-time, and 7 part-time faculty teaching in the graduate program as of the academic year. Fulltime faculty members teach in both the undergraduate and graduate programs, and the faculty numbers include the Department Chair and College Dean who have reduced teaching loads. Four of the fulltime faculty members are prepared at the doctoral level and one is in a doctoral program. One of the part-time faculty, who is a previous FNP Director currently living in Montana, is prepared at the doctoral level and is a certified FNP and PNP. This faculty is doctorally-prepared, published, has received several HRSA grants, a Robert Woods Johnson Grant and a NINR dissertation grant. One additional faculty member is a doctorally-prepared FNP and one of the part-time faculty members is a Pharmacist. Of the remaining part-time faculty members, one is an FNP and in a doctoral program (recently became a fulltime faculty who will receive the DNP degree fall, 2011), one is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and the other two are certified FNPs prepared at the Master s degree level. Most fulltime faculty maintain clinical expertise through part-time nursing in clinical settings (the Chair works with students in the Psychiatric clinical facility in the undergraduate program and the Dean does not practice in a clinical setting, and does not teach clinical courses, but maintains currency through researching for publication of nursing texts). All of the part-time faculty members are actively practicing in the field. Most FNP faculty members engage in faculty practice an average of one day/week. Faculty presentations, publications, and grants demonstrate faculty involvement in scholarly activities. 22

23 The number of faculty is sufficient for clinical supervision and evaluation, although supplement with family nurse practitioner site visitors is needed each semester to accommodate the high number of students and for students in distant locations. In the Graduate program, the faculty to student ratio is 1:6 or less. Several of the faculty began teaching at the graduate level within the past four years. Comments from the NLNAC visitors and new faculty, lead to a more comprehensive faculty orientation and mentoring program being developed and implemented which includes plans for continuous evaluation and improvement as indicated. Every faculty member does a self-evaluation and has a Chair evaluation annually in addition to course evaluations by students. Over the past three years the student returns for University-based class evaluations have been too small for conclusive use of data, but constructive data is gathered from course-based evaluation tools and input from students is used to revise courses to address any areas needing improvement identified. IIIe) Quality of campus facilities, equipment, learning support resources, and practicum placements supporting the program As the nursing master s program is fully online, students rarely access the physical facilities on the campus. The technology support has been adequate to maintain the program in the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) with minimal disruptions of service and help-desk issues. A decision to change the program to the Moodle learning management system, with a phasing in beginning in spring 2012, was made to bring all online courses into the same LMS and because the University System will be changing from Blackboard within the next year. The Moodle LMS is supported by Learninghouse, a contracted service vendor, which provides student and faculty support. It is anticipated that the customer service for students will be equal or greater than that found in previous years with Blackboard as reported by students and faculty, thus accommodating the current student load and making the increase in numbers of students one which will be greatly supported as new faculty are brought in to teach additional sections of courses. The students have access to the skills lab, when they visit the campus, and to online skill enhancement modules, such as those with links to health assessment demonstrations and data analysis using SPSS. FNP students purchase PDA s to utilize in the clinical setting and are provided access to software from the masters enhancement grant, as requested by graduate faculty, to enhance the learning experience. Dr. LaVerne Mc Laughlin, Director of the Library, provides an inventory of the services and other resources available at the James Pendergast Memorial Library upon request. She estimated that $75, was allocated to enhance nursing and health related holdings including databases. Interlibrary loan is readily available at no cost. Faculty and students comment on evaluations that library related learning resources are easily accessed by online students through GALILEO. Students also use library resources at their local hospitals. 23

24 The NLNAC evaluators determined that the physical facilities are adequate to support the nursing education unit. Because the graduate program is online, growth is dependent more on personnel support than the physical resources. As class size increases, more clinical site visitors are secured, and more part-time faculty to co-teach courses so that the faculty-student ratios remains optimal and student success remains high. IIIf) Quality of Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors Faculty and student involvement in research and scholarly projects are primarily focused on thesis preparation, implementation, and presentation. Additional faculty activity in research and scholarly endeavors are noted with doctoral education for two faculty and grantsmanship (three faculty members). Two faculty members are actively involved in textbook publication and scholarly presentation at national nursing meetings. A grant for master s program enhancement was obtained in 2010 that is supporting student progression through the masters program. This grant provides funds for student presentation of research at conferences, however at this point no students have made such presentations. Several are being positioned to do so through thesis work. On average, 3 to 5 students complete thesis and scholarly projects in the fall and 10 to 16 students will complete scholarly projects and thesis activity in the spring. Over the past 5 years, three students and faculty have presented at regional and local professional meetings. The faculty turnover has been significant in the past six years with over 70% of the faculty having been hired or moved to graduate faculty status within the past 4 years. The process for new faculty orientation includes assigning a faculty mentor from the established faculty pool. The half-time faculty, who has been with the graduate program for over 10 years, became a full time faculty and has served as mentor for new faculty members. Effective fall 2011, a new faculty member was rehired who had previously been a fulltime undergraduate faculty and most recently a part-time graduate faculty while completing doctoral education. She will serve as Graduate Program Coordinator, a position that has been vacant for the past two years, and will be mentored by the Chair of the department upon rehire. Faculty development funds are provided to the department from the College budget. The allotted funds are split among the departments of the college based on faculty numbers. These funds have allowed faculty to travel to professional meetings and allowed for a workshop on pedagogy and test preparation to strengthen faculty in these areas. IIIg) Quality of the University s Annual Financial Investment in the Program s Operation and Growth After review of budget comparisons for FY 03, 04, 05, the NLNAC evaluators determined that the nursing budget is commensurate with the other departments in the University. A HRSA FNP training and Title III grants have augmented the College of Nursing budget in recent years. The budget has been essentially the same over the past 5 24

25 years due to State budget cuts and limited new funds. In 2009 the College was awarded a multi-million dollar Master s program enhancement grant from the Department of Education for use with the Nursing program primarily and the Math program to a lesser degree. Beginning spring 2010 stipends were provided to minority students to promote their completion of the program in a fulltime study. The grant is schedule to be awarded for six years and is currently in year two. Faculty salaries for the ranks of Assistant Professor and Associate Professor are higher than those of many ASU faculty. However, salaries are below national averages for nursing faculty, for example assistant professor salary is $1, below the AACN mean for non-doctoral faculty. Additionally, the faculty salaries are far out-paced by market salaries for experienced nurses, particularly for family nurse practitioner (FNP) faculty who can earn as much as $20,000 or more in the clinical setting. Faculty salaries have proven an impediment to recruiting and retaining faculty, particularly with the national faculty shortage and competing institutions located in urban settings with higher salary offers. University administration have recently allowed hiring of faculty with grant supplements which raised the salary offers and facilitated hire of two new faculty to the graduate courses. The recent increase in pay for part time faculty has increased our ability to recruit and hire part time faculty. The nursing program has been able to maintain adequate workforce to offer the program at a high level of quality, but continued efforts to increase the fulltime faculty workforce is ongoing. Faculty members are supported, through monetary commitment and release time, to complete doctoral study. This support has increased faculty satisfaction and retention of some graduate faculty members. The Masters Enhancement Grant has provided funds to support curriculum revision and other program improvement activities during the school year, and to hire clerical assistance which will reduce demands on faculty for clerical activities associated with program projects and data collection activities. This additional clerical person will provide other support to the graduate program and needed and appropriate to the grant goals. For example, the grant personnel assisted in planning and implementing a summer workshop for FNP students in summer 2011 for skills enhancement. IIIh) Quality of Program Advising, Enrollment Management and Student Services for this Program As indicated in earlier sections, the cohorts for the graduate program are determined by admission to the Theory/Roles and Theory course, primarily taught in the summer semester. The Graduate Program Coordinator works with the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant to maintain student records and track student progress. Folders are maintained on each student in the graduate program and the Typhon system is used to track records of required immunizations and insurance for documentation to clinical facilities as needed, as well as background checks,, or other required criteria for practice. Graduate advising is done primarily by the Graduate Program Coordinator in conjunction with fulltime graduate faculty. A graduate homepage is maintained for dissemination of 25