UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA ANNUAL REPORT Fiscal Year 2009 (July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009)

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA ANNUAL REPORT Fiscal Year 2009 (July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009) DEPARTMENT OF School of Nursing (SON) Name of Department Chair Kathryn Grams, Dean and Professor Name of Person Completing Report Kathryn Grams 1* Departmental Mission/Vision Statement (url only, required) 2* Departmental Statement of Goals, Process to Assess These Goals, and Assessment Results (url only, required) 3* Departmental Statement of Curriculum Learning Outcomes, Process to Assess These Outcomes, and Assessment Results for each Degree Program (url only, required) 4* Statement of Departmental Condition - please indicate the specific strengths and weaknesses of your department. STRENGTHS: Certain strengths remain: The following data support current and continuing strengths of the School of Nursing: Nursing met or exceeded expected results related to School Goal #1 to maintain high quality undergraduate and graduate nursing programs: 99% of BSN graduates (66 of 67 for calendar year 2008; 65 of 66 for FY08) passed NCLEX-RN on their first attempt 100% of FY08 BSN graduates (66 of 66) passed NCLEX-RN one year post-graduation 100% of FY08 MSN graduates reported overall satisfied with the program at graduation same as FY07 class 100% of FY07 BSN graduates reported overall satisfaction with the program one year post-graduation up from 94% for the FY06 class 100% of FY07 BSN graduates seeking employment were employed in nursing 100% of employers indicated that FY07 BSN graduates functioned competently same as FY06 class 100% of FY05 BSN/MSN graduates reported overall satisfaction with the program three years post-graduation up from 93% for FY04 BSN class and 88% for FY04 MSN class 82% of students (59 of 72) admitted to the BSN program in FY05 graduated no later than FY08 up from 69% for the FY04 class 70% of MSN students admitted to the MSN program in FY04 graduated no later than FY08 up from 67% for the FY03 class 10% of FY05 BSN graduates were enrolled in or had completed graduate study by FY08 down from 29% for the FY04 class 33% of FY05 MSN graduates were enrolled in or had competed graduate study by FY08 up from 13% for the FY04 class Nursing met or exceeded expected results related to School Goal #2 to maintain faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service to the university, the community, and the profession: 90% of FY09 tenure track nursing faculty (9 of 10) held doctoral degrees 60% of FY09 tenure track nursing faculty (6 of 10) submitted manuscripts or abstracts for professional publication or presentation; 1 non-tenure track and 1 part-time faculty submitted papers for publication/presentation 90% of submitted manuscripts/abstracts (9 of 10) were accepted/published in FY09 100% of nursing faculty (30 full-time/part-time faculty) had positive students evaluations of teaching effectiveness in % of tenure track nursing faculty participated in professional and community activities in FY09 Nursing met or exceeded expected results related to School Goal #3 to maintain a personal learning environment characterized by caring, holism, critical thinking, and professional commitment: 90% of FY08 BSN graduates agreed that caring, holism, critical thinking, and professional commitment characterized the learning environment same as the FY07 class 96% of FY07 BSN graduates agreed that caring, holism, critical thinking, and professional commitment characterized the learning environment one year post-graduation up from 94% for the FY06 class Additional strengths: The nursing program continues to attract large numbers of students in FY09 with 811 undergraduate majors representing a 4% decrease over FY08 (843 majors) BSN enrollment remains strong with 339 BSN students registered for nursing courses in FY09 representing a 21% increase over FY08 (280 BSN students) The BSN program has full approval by the Georgia Board of Nursing Both BSN and MSN programs have full accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education through 2018 all standards met with no recommendations The SON implements a caring curriculum with Caring Groups and is the paradigm case at UWG for educational excellence in a personal environment The SON offers a variety of full-time and part-time program options at various campus locations (Carrollton,

2 Dalton, Newnan, Rome) There continues to be a well-developed program to identify students at academic risk and to implement interventions to help them be successful The SON has strong community support with a grant from the Coweta Board of Commissioners to offer the BSN program on the Newnan Campus The SON has strong support from the USG Board of Regents with the Nursing Education Task Force Grant WEAKNESSES: Some of the weaknesses remain: The following data indicate some weaknesses of the School of Nursing: 85% of FY08 BSN graduates indicated overall satisfaction with the program at graduation down from 87% for the FY07 class and less than the desired outcome of 90% 23 students were enrolled in the MSN program in FY09 same as FY08; we would like to increase MSN enrollments Only 60% (6 of 10) of FY09 nursing tenure track faculty participated on college and university committees in FY09 down from 67% in FY08 and less than the 75% standard Only 41% (9 of 22) of FY09 full-time faculty hold doctoral degrees, less than the 50% standard; nationally, 43% of nursing faculty have doctorates (AACN, ) Others have been identified: The following data indicate some new weaknesses of the School of Nursing not found in the previous year 88% of FY08 MSN graduates agreed that caring, holism, critical thinking, and professional commitment characterized the learning environment down from 100% for the FY07 class OPPORTUNITIES: Certain opportunities remain: The nursing shortage in Georgia and the United States creates opportunities for program growth at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and for increased collaboration with area health care agencies. The nursing faculty shortage in Georgia creates opportunities for offering the Nurse Education Track of the MSN program via distance education to assist in the preparation of faculty for associate degree programs. The opportunity to participate in AACN s Clinical Nurse Leader project will enhance enrollment in the Health Systems Leadership Track of the MSN program; 2 students from practice partner, Hamilton Medical Center, graduated in FY09; WellStar Health System and the Harbin Clinic became CNL partners. Funding of patient simulator equipment for the Newnan Campus through UWG Technology fees in FY09 offers the potential to improve the preparation of our students for clinical decision making. Other opportunities have been identified: The SON received $188,847 from the $3 million BOR allocation for nursing education; these funds have been used to increase enrollment and meet USG goals for the production of new nurses in Georgia. The opportunity for increased visibility of the Nursing programs through the creation of a School of Nursing at UWG; Dr. Sethna officially established the SON in Fall Funding for the design of a new Nursing building was approved by the BOR in FY09 to provide the needed instructional space for the growth of Nursing at UWG. THREATS: Certain threats remain: The nursing faculty shortage, budget constraints, aging faculty, inadequate clinical and classroom/laboratory resources, and inadequate advising support seriously threaten the ability of the SON to offer not only its current programs but to expand its production of pre-licensure graduates by 50% (goal established by the BOR Nursing Education Task Force). Nursing education in Georgia and at UWG is in crisis. The mean age of full-time nursing faculty in (AACN) was 52.4 years. At UWG, 100% of doctorally prepared faculty members at UWG are older than 50 years. Nationally, 43% of full-time nursing faculty members hold doctorates (AACN ). In FY09, only 41% of UWG full-time nursing faculty held doctorates. The SON conducted a national search for 3 faculty positions (to fill 1 vacant line and 2 retirement lines) with expertise in adult, family and community health in FY09. Thirteen applications were received; six applicants were interviewed, only 1 of whom had an earned doctorate; 2 of the master s prepared candidates and 1 EdD (ABD) candidate were hired. Budget constraints related to faculty compensation and higher salaries in clinical and private-sector settings seriously threaten UWG s ability to recruit and retain nursing faculty. Mean salaries for doctoral level nursing faculty at UWG are $14,034 below national means for professors, $7,820 below for associate professors, and $3,949 below for assistant professors (AACN, ). The SON dean s salary is $18,196 below the national mean for deans of similar experience/responsibility (AACN, ). The gap would be significantly higher without the $4,000 supplement provided by the NETF BOR grant in FY09. Master s prepared UWG nursing faculty earn approximately $30,000 less than master s prepared nurse practitioners in clinical settings in the southeastern United States. Increased competition for clinical sites threatens UWG s ability to place students in local clinical agencies and prepare high quality BSN graduates; Atlanta RN programs and the West Central Technical College RN/LPN programs compete with UWG for local clinical space. UWG was denied clinical access to numerous clinical

3 5 6 agencies in FY09. The SON has insufficient office and instructional space to meet current and future instructional needs. Renovations have provided more office space and are planned to enhance the Nursing Skills Lab in Newnan, however, classrooms in the Education Annex are no longer large enough for many of the nursing classes. Clinical agency mandates for criminal background checks and drug screens for all Nursing students and faculty stresses already inadequate staff resources for clinical placement. Additional personnel will be needed to manage student records and clinical placement as well as provide orientation and advisement responsibilities for current and prospective students. Other threats have been identified: State of Georgia budget cuts continue to threaten the viability of already underfunded professional nursing programs. SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENTS Percent of Students passing licensing, certification, or other accreditation examinations related to their chosen field Proportion of graduating students going on to graduate or professional schools 99% passed on first attempt; 100% passed within one year of graduation in % of BSN and 33% of MSN graduates have advanced their education to the next level. 7 Number of Nationally recognized programs. 1 Caring curriculum 8 Number of Endowed chairs and professorships 0 9 Types of Licensure (please list) Upon graduation, Generic BSN graduates qualify for NCLEX-RN, the nationally recognized licensure examination for professional registered nurses. RN-BSN and MSN students are already licensed as registered nurses in Georgia and are not required to seek additional licensure upon graduation from their respective programs. All nursing faculty are required by the Georgia Board of Nursing to maintain Georgia licensure as professional registered nurses. 10 How does the department prepare students for Licensure? The SON prepares students for success on NCLEX-RN in a variety of ways. The Generic BSN curriculum consists of 63 hours of required nursing courses that address all content areas tested on NCLEX-RN. Examinations in these courses consist of NCLEX-like questions. In addition, the School prepares students for success through implementation of computerized testing via WebCT CourseDen in nursing courses, a comprehensive nationally standardized computerized testing program (ATI), and a required NCLEX-RN preparation course. Preparation for the exam is also facilitated by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, which publishes the NCLEX-RN Test Plan for review by candidates and nursing programs. 11 Other notable achievements The SON submitted a portfolio for the 2010 Regents Teaching Excellence Award (department/program award), representing UWG in the annual system competition. The SON was granted full re-accreditation for 10 years by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. All standards were met with no recommendations. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS 12 Total Published Research Papers 0 13 Total Presentations 8 14 Total Internships NA 15 Total Co-ops NA 16 Total Scholarships 131 SON scholarships; 17 Ingram Scholars; 171 BSN Hope Scholars; 182 pre-nursing Hope Scholars 17 Total Fellowships 0 18 Total Students engaged in Funded Research 0 19 Total Students receiving National Awards and/or National Recognition 0 20 Total Students inducted into Academic Honor Societies 28 BSN/MSN students inducted into Pi Nu 21 Total Student Programs (debate, cheerleaders, athletic teams) receiving National Recognition 0 22 Other notable achievements by Students 4 BSN students attended the Georgia Association of Nursing Students convention in Columbus, GA 4 BSN students attended the National Student Nurses Association convention in Nashville, TN 4 BSN graduates were Honors College graduates 2 students received the Nursing Award of Excellence

4 FACULTY/STAFF PRODUCTIVITY TEACHING 23 Total New Course Developments 0 24 Total Faculty Teaching Honors Courses 9 25 Total Faculty traveling Abroad for Teaching Purposes 0 26 Percent of Faculty involved in Academic Advisement 100% RESEARCH/PRODUCTIVITY 27 Total Books and Monographs 0 28 Total Book Chapters 2 29 Total Peer Review Articles 4 30 Total Other Shorter Works 0 31 Total Paper Presentations 6 32 Total Other Presentation 2 33 Total In-House Publications 0 34 Total Juried Exhibits/Performances NA 35 Total Other Exhibits/Performances NA 36 Total Positions Held in Journal Editing/Review 2 37 Total Faculty involved in Notable Continuing Education Efforts 3 faculty are enrolled in doctoral programs 38 Total Faculty traveling Abroad for Research Purposes 0 PUBLIC SERVICE 39 Total Participants in Honors Organizations Total Offices held in Professional Organizations Total Advisors of Student Organizations 2 42 Total Participants in Cooperative Consulting Efforts 1 43 Total System-wide/UWG Committee Activities Total Participants in Public Service Activities 4 45 Other notable achievements by Faculty 100% of faculty are licensed as professional registered nurses in Georgia 50% of faculty (15 of 30 full-time/part-time) hold professional certifications: 7 as advanced practice nurses and 8 in nursing specialties 67% of faculty (20 of 30 full-time/part-time) facilitate Caring Groups for BSN students and mentor junior faculty GRANTS/AWARDS 46 Total Proposals Submitted 4 47 Total Proposals Funded 6 48 Total Amount Awarded $348, Total Grants Generated by Department 0 50 Total Faculty receiving Grants 4 51 Total Fellowships Awarded 0 IMPORTANT: Please do not abbreviate. Please spell out all organization/program names. 52 New Degree Programs or Deletions (name of program and semester added/deleted) None 53 New Departments or Other New Units; Also any Restructuring of These The Department of Nursing was separated from the College of Arts and Sciences and became the UWG School of Nursing in Fall This change resulted in revision of the UWG/SON organizational structures and UWG Senate rules and SON Bylaws. 54 Accreditation or Similar Distinction or Renewal (name of accrediting body and date department/program received accreditation) Both the BSN and MSN programs have full accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through December 31, The BSN program has full approval by the Georgia Board of Nursing through December 31, 2010.

5 55 Additional Comments Concerning Your Department Program Assessment Assessment results for Annual Report items #2 and #3 are not available on the School of Nursing website and will be sent to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning as an addendum via . These results include tables displaying graduation rates, rates of enrollment in/or completion of graduate school, student/graduate/employer satisfaction data and student perceptions of preparedness to meet program objectives. Newnan Program Implementation Fifty students were admitted to the fourth class of pre-licensure BSN students in summer 2008 at the Newnan Campus; the second Newnan class of 26 students graduated in December Clinical Nurse Leader The SON is one of approximately 90 nursing programs in the United States and one of 3 in Georgia institutions participating in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing s (AACN) initiative to develop a new role in nursing. We continue to work closely with Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) in Dalton to prepare highly skilled clinicians in outcomes-based practice and quality improvement. The first two CNL students graduated from the program in May New practice partners are being recruited for CNL program development. Lettie Pate Whitehead The School of Nursing received $45,000 in scholarship funds from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation for Distinguishing characteristics that set Nursing apart from other units in the University and support it as an autonomous unit: Nursing is the only traditional health professions program offered at UWG Nursing offers an undergraduate program (Generic BSN) for which a license to practice is mandatory for all graduates Nursing faculty members are required to hold a professional license Nursing is regulated by a state licensing board with mandated annual reports and on-site visits and regulated facultyto-student ratios Nursing offers a selective and competitive undergraduate program with limited space available; 276 students applied for 110 seats in the summer 2009 generic BSN classes in Carrollton and Newnan. Nursing students and faculty are directly responsible for human lives on a regular basis in complex and varied real world practice settings Nursing contracts with 198 agencies to support clinical instruction Nursing faculty and students must undergo comprehensive criminal background checks and drug screening and meet professional and health requirements Nursing teaches 63 hours of required major courses for the BSN degree 56* Give an example of how your department used the assessment of goals and outcomes to change/improve a process. (Required) Each fall at the annual School of Nursing Retreat, faculty members review the Total Plan for Evaluation ( and data collected from the previous academic year. Measures are implemented to respond to areas where outcomes are not met. For example, Generic BSN student overall program satisfaction at graduation has been below the expected outcome for several years. Faculty have continued to review student comments and implement changes. Modification of the ATI testing policy in FY07 has resulted in improved first-attempt NCLEX-RN passing rates of 99% for the Carrollton and Newnan classes that took the exam in UPON COMPLETION Please completed report to: Institutional Research and Planning Tara Pearson tpearson@westga.edu