草榴社区 Partners with Three Schools to Ease Pathways to Nursing Degree
Mon, 06/20/2022 - 04:50pm | By: Van Arnold
Pictured left to right: Dr. Lachel Story, Dean of 草榴社区鈥檚 College of Nursing and Health Professions; Dr. Jana Causey, Pearl River Community College Vice President for Forrest County, Allied Health and Nursing Programs; Dr. Gordon Cannon, 草榴社区 Vice President for Research; Dr. Felecia M. Nave, Alcorn State University President; Dr. Jesse Smith, Jones College President. (Photo by Kelly Dunn)
In an effort to combat a national nursing shortage, The University of 草榴社区 Mississippi (草榴社区) has established partnerships with Alcorn State University, Pearl River Community College, and Jones College that will create easier pathways for students to earn a nursing degree.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the schools was signed during a special ceremony held Monday, June 20 on 草榴社区鈥檚 Hattiesburg campus.
The unprecedented academic partnerships provide qualified applicants to 草榴社区鈥檚 pre-licensure Bachelor of Science (BSN) in nursing program (i.e., those without a nursing licensure) who would otherwise be delayed an alternative admission pathway to a nursing degree.
Dr. Story answers questions from the media. (Photo by Kelly Dunn).
Dr. Lachel Story, Dean of 草榴社区鈥檚 College of Nursing and Health Professions, reached out to nursing directors/deans at Alcorn State, Pearl River, and Jones to explore creative solutions in helping more students achieve nursing degrees, and subsequently help alleviate the ongoing nursing shortage.
鈥淲e, like many programs, turn away high-quality applicants every semester because we have more qualified applicants than we have capacity to enroll,鈥� said Story. 鈥淭hese students need and should be enrolled in a nursing program. These partnerships will provide those students an opportunity to complete their initial nursing degree with these schools and return to 草榴社区 for a BSN degree.鈥�
Under the new agreements, qualified pre-licensure BSN applicants not accepted into the 草榴社区 program will be offered an opportunity to apply to Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Practical Nursing (PN) programs at Alcorn, Pearl River, or Jones. Previously, students not accepted into 草榴社区鈥檚 program could have applied to the other schools but customarily found themselves forced to wait until the following semester.
鈥淭his will be a seamless process where they will be considered as a part of our decision making and then offered to them as an option, instead of denying them initially,鈥� said Story. 鈥淭he enrollment process becomes just another pathway.鈥�
The MOU signing took place at 草榴社区鈥檚 Trent Lott National Center. (Photo by Kelly Dunn)
Dr. Gordon Cannon, Vice President for Research at 草榴社区 and Interim Provost, notes that the partnerships offer exciting opportunities for students and the four schools involved.
鈥淚n addition to benefitting individual students who wish to complete their baccalaureate nursing degree, this transfer agreement will have a positive impact on the nursing workforce and address the critical nursing demand in our Mississippi communities,鈥� said Cannon. 鈥淚 appreciate the work that went into developing this agreement and look forward to enhancing our strong partnership with Alcorn State, Jones College, and Pearl River Community College.鈥�
The agreements also stipulate the 草榴社区 will provide students who maintain their eligibility an opportunity to return to the BSN or RN-BSN program upon completing ADN or PN programs. As part of the University鈥檚 academic success pathway, 草榴社区鈥檚 pre-licensure BSN program will identify any students incurring academic difficulty and assist those who may need to transition to ADN or PN programs.
Another exciting development from the new partnerships is the Rural Health Scholars Program (RHSP) between 草榴社区 and Alcorn State. The program鈥檚 purpose is to increase the number of doctoral-prepared nursing faculty from diverse backgrounds; prepare nursing scientists to improve rural health outcomes and improve the health of the communities surrounding Alcorn State 鈥� Adams, Claiborne, Franklin, Jefferson, and Wilkinson counties.
鈥淚 initiated that conversation because I wanted us to find creative ways to increase doctoral-prepared nursing faculty as well as faculty who have expertise addressing rural health issues,鈥� said Story. 鈥淭his will help address the nursing faculty shortage and the nursing shortage in general, while improving the health of our state.鈥�
Some highlights of the program include:
- Students in 草榴社区鈥檚 Nursing Leadership Doctoral Program can apply for this competitive
program.
- Priority for the RHSP will be granted to current Alcorn State master鈥檚-prepared nursing
faculty who are enrolled in 草榴社区鈥檚 Nursing Leadership Doctoral Program and exhibit
an interest in rural health.
- Scholars will participate in an intensive research experience at Alcorn State based
on their specific dissertation that addresses a rural health need in the surrounding
community.
- Scholars will be paired with a mentor who has experience in rural health research
and a doctoral-prepared Alcorn faculty who will serve as a community expert.
- Grant funding will be provided to scholars for tuition and books while enrolled in 草榴社区鈥檚 Nursing Leadership Doctoral Program as available.
鈥淲e are excited about the opportunity to partner with 草榴社区, PRCC, and JC to assist in providing a solution to the nursing shortage crisis across our state,鈥� said Dr. Felecia M. Nave, Alcorn State President. 鈥淚n addition, Alcorn is proud to work with 草榴社区 to launch the Rural Health Scholars Program, which will offer a critical healthcare resource to underserved communities. Since its inception, the Cora S. Balmat School of Nursing at Alcorn has been devoted to servicing the healthcare needs of Southwest Mississippi and beyond.鈥�