Felician College Offers Fast Track RN-to-BSN Program
Monday January 11, 2010
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Patricia O’Brien-Barry, RN, associate professor, left, and Christine Mihal, RN, associate dean, discuss the fast track RN-to-BSN program at Felician College.
(Photo by Janice Petrella Lynch, RN)
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The full-time program focuses on four competency areas: writing skills, public speaking, research, and nursing leadership, through lectures, group work, case studies, and individual and group presentations. “When an RN joins our program, we recognize his or her RN license and clinical skills,” says Christine Mihal, RN, EdD, chairperson, associate dean, and associate professor. “By focusing on the competency areas, we give our students the tools to move forward in their careers.”
Along with theory courses that cover health promotion and assessment, genetics, nursing research, and issues and trends, students participate in two clinical courses. The community-based course exposes them to non-hospital-based roles such as home care, hospice, school and jail settings, and the health department. In a clinical leadership course, students choose to spend time with a preceptor, who might be a vice president, director, or manager in any healthcare setting. The curriculum also consists of two graduate nursing courses, Business Dimensions in Healthcare and Healthcare Delivery Systems. “We want to expose RN students to graduate education and open their eyes up to that possibility,” Mihal says.
“We are committed to making nursing degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s levels accessible and achievable for working nurses, and we see that graduates from our fast track program excel in the workplace,” says Muriel M. Shore, RN, EdD, NEA-BC, DPNAP, dean and professor.
Because most students are parents who work full time, courses are held on the same day each week to accommodate the students’ busy schedules. “We’re proud that we have received CCNE accreditation for 10 years with no recommendations and a 93% completion rate,” Mihal says.
Janice Petrella Lynch, RN, MSN, is a regional reporter. Send letters to the editor to editorNJ@nursingspectrum.com or comment below.
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