Ashland University Dwight Schar College of Nursing Case for Support

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1 Ashland University Dwight Schar College of Nursing Case for Support History Established in 1919 by Mansfield General Hospital as a hospital-based diploma program, the Mansfield General Hospital School of Nursing has served the community with distinction during its entire existence. In 1997, MedCentral College of Nursing was founded as a single-purpose college offering a program of study leading to the Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing. In the last five years, the program has seen phenomenal growth. In 2003 there were approximately 70 students. Today there are nearly 350 students enrolled. Currently housed in the building constructed in 1923, today s nursing faculty, staff and students have seriously outgrown the original structure and need new space specifically designed to accommodate the latest technological advances in nursing education. Former dormitory spaces that were renovated for faculty offices are now inadequate to house the expanding space needs. The original 1923 offices and dorm rooms now being used for classrooms and labs have grown much too small and unable to hold the growing class sizes and modern equipment used in current nursing education. Educational tools and equipment also need to be updated to meet today s level of technology. Earlier this year, Ashland University was approached by MedCentral College of Nursing and MedCentral Health System to explore the possibility of a merger between the two institutions. After a four-month process in which the University had to reapply for the program s accreditation, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) gave approval June 25, The HLC approval paved the way for Ashland University to enter into a contract with MedCentral Health System effective August 15, Ashland University s acquisition of the College of Nursing fits as part of the University s strategic plan to expand its healthcare program to meet the demand for qualified nursing professionals. Construction of a $14.5 million medical learning center in Richland County with new simulation labs will allow students to critically analyze their actions, reflect on their skills and critique clinical decisions in a protected learning environment.

2 The Current Situation Nurses today are expected to provide the same basic, hands-on health care as they did in They are also expected to be proficient with various computers, computer programs, computerized bedside equipment and high-tech procedures. Current nursing education standards use costly patient simulators and computer modeling systems to prepare today s nurses for their first hands-on experiences with live patients. Today s nurses are educationally prepared in an environment of higher learning that is more complicated in order to meet the health care needs of a more complex society. According to the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published in the November 2009 Monthly Labor Review, more than 581,500 new nursing positions will be created through 2018 (a 22.2% increase), making nursing the nation s top profession in terms of projected job growth. Nursing has been declared a national shortage career by the federal government. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects that by 2020 the country will need a total of 2.8 million nurses. Based on supply projections there will be a shortfall of 800,000 nurses. In Ohio alone, the predicted shortage will be 32,000. There are multiple reasons for the shortage. First, the nursing workforce is aging. The average age of nurses in Ohio is 48. Nearly 15% of the registered nurse workforce employed by MedCentral Health System is 55 or older. The Ohio Board of Nursing reports a severe decline in the number of new registered nurse licensures issued in the past 10 years. This aging registered nurse workforce reflects fewer young nurses entering the profession. The Ohio Hospital Association states that nearly 40% of Ohio nurses indicate they plan to leave the profession in the next 10 years, due in large part to retirement. Compounding the problem is the fact that advances in medicine and technology enable people worldwide to live longer with chronic health issues, in many cases with more than one problem. It is expected that 50% of North American and Japanese babies who were born in 2000 will live to be 90 years old and 10% will live to be 100 years old. These facts alone indicate an increased demand for nurses not only in the USA, but globally. It has been reported that in 2009 nursing schools nationwide rejected 49,948 qualified applicants. In Ohio more than 6,500 applicants were rejected. Reasons for the rejections include shortages of clinical sites, faculty and adequate classroom space. Today s predicted nursing shortage is not the same cyclical supply and demand that has occurred over the years. According to the Ohio Hospital Association, the nursing shortage is so severe in other parts of the country that some hospitals have had to reduce access to care by reducing the number of available patient beds, postponing or

3 cancelling elective surgeries and diverting rescue squads to other hospitals because they did not have adequate nursing staff in their emergency rooms, among others. The Current Baccalaureate Education For those pursuing a career in nursing, the decision regarding which level of educational preparation they wish to attain remains paramount. Many options are available to the students, all leading to the National Council Licensure Examination and the highly respected initials RN (Registered Nurse) behind the graduate s name. At Ashland University, Schar College of Nursing students complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Seeking a bachelor s degree is the preferred choice as this level of education prepares graduates to meet the complex demands within the health care environment, to assume the role of patient advocate and interdisciplinary collaborator of care, and to pursue a graduate education in several highly demanded specialty careers. Baccalaureate nursing graduates have a foundation in a liberal education, and complete coursework in theory, research, emerging issues and leadership that assists them in becoming leaders of the nursing profession and prepares them to promote positive health outcomes for patients. Baccalaureate graduates may choose from a vast array of opportunities from direct bedside care, front-line primary care delivery and case management to teaching, research, business, and health policy within both the public and private sectors. Graduates are prepared as generalists, ready to face the challenges of the complex demands within the health care environment. These complex demands include promotion of health and risk reduction in patient populations, holistic care for patients with complex acute and chronic illnesses and focus on resource utilization and health care cost control. The nursing students will be spending their first two years on the Ashland University main campus. Exciting Opportunities on the Horizon Acquiring the College of Nursing is just the first step in many exciting opportunities being considered by Ashland University. The construction of a new academic facility opens the doors to other health care initiatives. The first is growing the undergraduate program to 750 nursing students. A master s in nursing is already in the planning stages under the direction of the Provost. The Bachelor of Science in Dietetics was recently accredited and will likely find a home in the Schar College of Nursing. Future opportunities for a degree in pharmacy and a Doctor of Nurse Practitioner are already circulating among the ideas for increasing our health care footprint.

4 Enrollment Data Impact of Students Based on our internal data, 322 students are enrolled in the Schar College of Nursing for the fall semester. With a total of 123 students enrolled from Richland County, this county has the largest percentage enrolled (38%). Students also come from additional counties, which include Ashland (33), Crawford (17), Franklin (14), Knox (17), Marion (7) and Morrow (6) counties. Of these counties, five (Richland, Ashland, Crawford, Knox and Morrow) are located in Region 6. To date, 35 counties in Ohio are represented in enrollment. By taking advantage of the opportunity to obtain higher education at Ashland University, individuals living in the depressed economic area of Region 6 will be better able to provide for themselves and have the tools to be productive members of their communities. In addition, the nursing program will produce nursing practitioners, educators, and administrators within Richland and the surrounding communities. Community and Economic Impact Data from the Ohio County Profiles, prepared by the Office of Strategic Research of the Ohio Department of Development, identifies educational attainment level of those 25 years and over. In Richland County, only 8.7% of those individuals have earned a bachelor s degree, compared to 13.7% for all of Ohio. Ashland University gives regional students a convenient way to further their education that will enable them to better provide for themselves and their families and to become responsible, productive members of our communities. Demographically, our population is aging. U.S. Census Bureau data reveals that Ohio has the sixth largest number of people older than 65 of all 50 states. In Richland County almost 19% of the population is 60 or older. The same data projects that in the next 12 years that number will increase to 35%. Attracting and retaining young people in our community is difficult. The successful college experience will provide us with the opportunity to convince our graduates that north central Ohio has much to offer. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, seven of the 10 fastest growing occupations are in health care. The Bureau has singled out nursing as the occupation likely to swell the most - estimating the nation will employ 630,000 more registered nurses in 2012 than in While other employers may export jobs or reduce their workforce during economic downturns, nursing opportunities are plentiful. Unlike other industries and services, the economy does not drive the number of people who need health care. An annual economic impact study was computed utilizing software from the Federal Reserve titled FedFit. The results of that study indicate that the College of Nursing has more than $12,000,000 annual positive economic impact on North Central Ohio.

5 The Need As discussed earlier, it has been reported that in 2009, nursing schools nationwide rejected 49,948 qualified applicants. In Ohio 6,500 applicants were rejected. Reasons for the rejections include shortages of clinical sites, faculty and adequate classroom space. Schar College of Nursing is actively engaged in reducing these barriers for individuals within our community and surrounding areas who want to become baccalaureate prepared professional nurses. In response to the lack of clinical sites for students, Ashland University is preparing to expand the current simulated learning environment for our students. Clinical simulations replicate real life experiences to enhance learning in the classroom, lab or clinical setting, and thus are a crucial element of the learning environment. Simulation was first introduced in the 1960 s. In the 1980 s anesthesiologists began using simulated training, which began the transformation of health care education. Simulations allow faculty to: assess student clinical competencies assess decision making skills orient students to clinical challenges they rarely encounter, but need to be prepared to manage Simulation allows students to: critically analyze their own actions reflect on their skills critique clinical decisions Simulations also allow students to make mistakes in a protected environment, which in turn allows faculty to guide them, thus turning a mistake into a learning opportunity. These opportunities build each student s knowledge base and increase their skills. Simulated learning decreases anxiety, increases self-confidence and develops critical thinking skills. Recruitment and retention of faculty is growing more and more difficult. Nurses are in demand in all areas including nursing education. There is a faculty shortage nationwide and our region is no exception. Recruitment and retention efforts are more successful when educational tools and technical resources are current and available. Faculty spend many hours preparing for classroom instruction. Recruitment and retention of expert faculty is greatly enhanced when the physical plant provides enough space and organization to create an environment conducive to teaching and learning.

6 Summary Our Board of Trustees and other volunteers have developed an ambitious plan to create a campus on a portion of the Balgreen Farm at the intersection of Marion Avenue and Trimble Road. Two residential buildings have already been built and are currently filled with nursing students. The new 46,000-square-foot academic building will be the third structure on the site. The total project will cost $14.5 million. Ashland alumnus Dwight Schar 64, offered a challenge gift to show his support for both Ashland and Richland counties and to encourage others to invest in the program s future. Mr. Schar will match all new gifts given to the campaign up to $5 million. The new academic building will combine new simulation laboratories, existing off-site laboratories and classrooms into one building, resulting in a more cohesive environment for both students and faculty. The addition of the academic building to the existing residential buildings will enable us to maintain and improve our student recruitment efforts attracting students locally, regionally and from out of state. In order to prepare excellent nurses, we must decrease barriers to quality education. Ashland University is the only traditional four-year nursing baccalaureate program and 15-month accelerated program in our two counties. We are not duplicating services. This college campus will have a positive economic impact on our community, and will improve the quality of life for those who take advantage of the opportunity to obtain a baccalaureate education close to home. Educating nurses close to home will help us maintain a strong local health care delivery system. An investment in this project is an investment in our community s future.