PLAN 2010 for College of Nursing and Health Science
Introduction
In the past twelve years the College of Nursing and Health Science has grown
to become the choice program for the education of nurses in Northern Virginia
and a hub for connections between George Mason University and the surrounding
community –with over 170 sites with whom the College has developed agreements
for fieldwork of our students. The current demand for nurses has far exceeded
the supply, and that is not likely to change in the near future. This helps
to ensure employment for all our graduates and promises that the College will
have a significant impact on the health of citizens in the Northern Virginia
area. We estimate that 1 in 3 patients in the surrounding community is cared
for by a graduate of the College. Further, the nursing shortage has led to an
increased commitment by major health facilities to support nursing education
for its own future workforce needs. There are also new roles for graduates in
health science, such as health systems management, emergency preparedness, and
various specializations in gerontology.
In 2003-2004 the College has 49 full-time faculty and 7 full-time health science
faculty. It has 839 undergraduate students, 272 master’s students, and
45 doctoral students, with additional students in certificate programs and extended
studies, both in Nursing and in Health Science. The College’s pedagogical
innovations include virtual platforms, as well as state of the art simulation
labs for nursing skill development. The graduate nursing programs are consistently
ranked in the top 50 in the nation. The research capability of this College
has steadily expanded over time, and its research output is becoming rich
and diverse.
In the next six years, our goal is to be ranked among the top 25 nursing programs
in the country. To achieve this, it is important to balance research initiatives
with a focus on clinical education. The primary mission of the College is to
prepare competent graduates to enter health care careers. In order to enter
the next tier of premier nursing and health science programs, the College must
develop a reputation as an innovative clinical educator, as well as a source
of vital health services research. We believe that the Strategic Plan submitted
here is a challenging, but feasible way to achieve this. The plan focuses on
introducing new programs that build on current strengths of the College and
consolidate College and University resources.
Goals and Objectives for 2010
1. International Initiatives
GOAL: The College will be part of at least three new international
GMU-wide educational programs. To forward its educational mission, the College
will develop an active collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO), with the participation of College faculty and students in at least two
PAHO-sponsored international programs.
The College has developed over the years a range of international programs that
include both international students participating in our programs and our faculty
and students engaging in educational activities abroad. It is currently designated
as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre. The College is currently
carrying on research and educational activities in Nicaragua and Barbados, and
has been educating nursing students from Saudi Arabia for the past three years.
The College is currently participating in the planning of GMU multicollege projects
in China, Iraq, and the UAE. Additional projects in an early stage of development
include Kosova and Chile.
2. Interdisciplinary University Initiatives
GOAL: The College will initiate, and/or actively participate in six
new University-wide collaborative projects with other units in the University.
The College has already established initiatives with the College of Visual and
Performing Arts, Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, College of
Arts and Sciences, and others. Future potential interdisciplinary programs or
research projects are anticipated with these and other units of the University.
3. College-based Initiatives
a. Student Enrollment
GOAL: The College will show a 20% increase in student enrollment, including
both undergraduate and graduate levels, and will expand its faculty accordingly.
There is currently an increased community demand, as well as short supply, for
skilled nurses, as well as health care professionals in related fields. There
are increasing numbers of applicants for the 2nd degree accelerated nursing
program, with fewer in the traditional nursing program. The Health Science programs
are also increasing. In order to forward the mission of the College and University
and to achieve maximum impact with available resources over the next six years,
the College will target specific programs for growth, consolidation, and possible
elimination. To assist with planning clinical learning experiences for the increased
numbers of students, the College will expand and refine its multiple
connections with health facilities in the surrounding community, with special
emphasis on its strong collaborative relation with INOVA health care system
and other healthcare organizations.
b. Curricular Evaluation and Expansion
GOAL: The College will implement a systematic plan to evaluate current
programs to determine potential areas of duplication between nursing and health
science and to identify programs that should be eliminated. The following new
initiatives will be
explored:
The Nursing programs will explore at least the following new programs: a) Master
of Science in Nursing Education (b) RN to MSN distance learning program; and
(c) Certificate (or Degree) in Nursing Informatics. In turn, the Health Science
programs will explore the feasibility of new (a) Master’s in Public Health;
(b) Master of Science with a concentration in Health Informatics; (c) Master
of Science with concentration in International Health; (d) a new concentration
(undergraduate) in health information management; (e) Master’s in nutrition;
and (f) a PhD in Health Services Research and Policy.
c. Assessment of Learning Outcomes
GOAL: Refine the Program Evaluation process for the College.
The College currently collects a large amount of data on faculty, students,
and alumni to meet accreditation standards. This includes data on student and
alumni satisfaction with specific elements of their programs, as well as employee
satisfaction with
graduates of the College. It also includes in-depth outcome data on students’
skills in critical thinking, oral and written communication, and therapeutic
nursing interventions. For example, at the end of Nursing 465 --the “capstone”
and “synthesis” course for the undergraduate nursing students--,
writing portfolios are assessed by a team of faculty for validation of written
communication skills. These data are shared with SCHEV, as well as accreditors.
As the College has expanded in size and programs, it has become increasingly
clear that a Director of Program Evaluation is needed to gather and analyze
data needed for assessment of learning outcomes. This Director will refine the
Program Evaluation process for the College, so that the data are reviewed regularly
and used for program improvement.
d. Faculty Diversity
GOAL: The College will elevate the diversity enrollment of faculty by no less
than 3%.
The College currently shows an ll.3% of minority fulltime faculty, almost coinciding
with the 12.7% overall figure for the University. In terms of the student body,
the College shows a 39% minority enrollment, which exceed the 34% overall figure
of minority students in the University. The search committee will target minority
candidates for new positions.
e. Distance Learning
GOAL: The College will have developed no less than three new distance learning
programs.
The College has substantially enhanced its faculty expertise in distance learning,
and is currently in an optimal position to develop this new frontier in undergraduate
and graduate education, expanding the sphere of influence of the University.
There is a particularly attractive market for these initiatives in relation
to career ladders for nurses to obtain a Master of Science in Nursing and in
education of future nurse educators.
f. Preparation of Nurse Educators
GOAL: Establish a Center for Excellence in Clinical Education.
There is currently not only an acute shortage of nurses, but also a corresponding
shortage of nurse educators. In order to increase enrollment in schools of nursing
nationally, it is essential to prepare sufficient numbers of nurse educators.
There
is currently no national center of this type that focuses specifically on educating
nurses for clinical teaching. Also, expansion of our current clinical simulation
center in this way coordinates well with the College’s previous Capital
Campaign focus on design and expansion of clinical simulation labs. Establishment
of a Center for Excellence in Clinical Education would bring recognition to
the College as an innovative educational institution and would make a substantial
contribution to preparation of qualified nurse educators. This Center will sponsor
an annual Summer Institute for Nurse Educators and seek funded research to
support research in nursing education.
GOAL: Establish a physician-to-MSN program.
An innovative program to prepare future nurse educators consists of a “Physician
to Master of Science in Nursing” program targeted to physicians who have
immigrated to the United States but are unable to practice as physician due
to licensing restrictions. Refugees trained as physicians from such areas as
Haiti and Cuba are unable to practice in the U.S. and instead often work in
low paying jobs. This population would fit well with our current 2nd degree
accelerated nursing program (we already have 2 physicians in the program), expanding
it to educate a cohort of physicians as clinical nurse educators. This could
dramatically enhance the diversity of nurse educators for the College, as well
as nationally.
g. Center for Health Care Policy, Research, and Ethics
GOAL: The Center for Health Care Policy, Research, and Ethics will
be self-sustained on the basis of externally supported research projects and
conferences. The College’s Center for Health Care Policy, Research, and
Ethics will have a new Director appointed within one year in order to reactivate
its full potential for research and conference sponsorship. In 2004, a nurse
ethicist will be in place to head the Office of Ethics and expand ethical initiatives
for the College. In 2005, the Center will assume sponsorship of two annual Summer
Institutes for Phenomenological Research in Health Care. The Center will also
explore new initiatives related to Urban Health Studies.
h. Center for Healthy Aging (Gerontological Education and Research)
GOAL: Establish a National Center for Healthy Aging (NCHA) (provisional name).
This Center builds on expertise already in the College: Gerontology, Assisted
Living, Health Promotion, Chronic Disorders, End of Life issues, and Ethics
and Policy, each of them including activities related to Education/training,
Service/community resources information, Research, and Policy. The Center will
be nationally recognized as an important hub of initiatives and research projects.
It will also have strong linkages with the College’s Center for Health
Care Policy, Research, and Ethics and with other University units focusing on
aging (e.g., sociology, psychology and the arts.) This Center will sponsor at
least two national conferences and three externally funded research projects.
The recruitment of a senior Gerontology researcher to coordinate this Center
is foreseen for 2007. The College will continue its active participation in
the design and implementation of a University Sponsored Retirement Community,
with the hope of seeing it coming to fruition by 2010.
i. Overall Research Agenda
GOAL: External funding for research will be doubled.
The research agenda of the College is expanding. Currently there are research
projects covering the following areas: bioterrorism (including nurses as first
responders), clinical decision-making (including neonatal ICU nursing, palliative
care for children with cancer, and clinical pathway for chronic congestive heart
failure); a rich range of cross-cultural issues (including Cultural interventions
for TB in Latino immigrants, Nutrition and growth in adolescents in different
developing countries; Cultural adaptation in Philippine nurses in the US; and
Quality of life issues for African-American cancer survivors); distance management-related
(focused on Asthma, substance abuse incarcerated population); educational issues
(Dissertation /grant writing skills: who succeeds and why?; Relations between
faculty and students in RN to BSN program; Critical thinking skills of Chinese
nursing students; Health promotion and selfcare practices of nursing students);
gerontology (Assisted living—decision
making in end-of-life care; evaluation of “Life review” techniques
at end of life; Osteoporosis knowledge; Ethics in Alzheimer’s care; National
Operational Benchmark Survey for Assisted living Industry); policy issues (econometrics
of nursing workforce in VA, econometrics and policy in underserved population;
MH counseling across agencies and information sharing by providers; Empirical
practice analysis (job-analysis) re validity of licensure/ certification examinations);
pregnancy and perinatology (tobacco control in pregnant women and relapses post-partum);
and others. An infrastructure is needed within the College to facilitate development
of grantsmanship for faculty.
Resource needs to meet these 2010 goals
In order to accomplish the goals detailed above, we anticipate need for the
following resources:
1. Faculty positions
Full-time faculty FTE have not kept pace with increasing student enrollments.
In 1996, at the time of the last accreditation, the College had 50 full-time
nursing faculty and 28 part-time faculty. In fall 2003, in spite of a substantial
increase in student FTE over the previous seven years, the College had only
48 full-time nursing faculty and 48 part-time faculty. In order to carry out
the College’s Strategic Plan, it is essential that specific faculty areas
of expertise be targeted. Senior faculty are needed to forward the research
agenda for the College and to support the doctoral program; clinical track faculty
are needed for clinical
courses. A senior gerontologist will be needed as Director for the National
Center for Healthy Aging and additional health science faculty, including a
faculty member with expertise in economics, are needed to build the health science
program.
2. Space
Although additional space has been gained in the College when new faculty has
been hired, this has not kept up with the College’s needs. An assessment
of space for CNHS faculty and administrators indicates that the College currently
has 11,448 square feet, as opposed to the 12,334 square feet suggested by SCHEV
guidelines, indicating that CNHS is 926 square feet short of the recommended
space. This projection is for the present situation; additional space will be
needed to meet the 2010 goals. One anticipated need for additional space will
be to house faculty teaching in the distance learning program; these adjunct
faculty may not need office space but will need a shared space to work and conference
with faculty and students. College representatives will have active involvement
in the design of a model facility (currently defined as the Thompson Building)
to plan for expanded goals of the College.
3. Technology
Additional sophisticated clinical simulation equipment will be needed for the
increased number of students and the expanded labs. Additional computers will
also be needed to accommodate the testing activities needed to prepare for licensing
examinations. Finally, additional computers may be needed for the expanded distance
learning programs.