Paper
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
552
Preparing Our Future Nurse Administrators: A Unique Collaboration
Jeannette T. Crenshaw, MSN, RN, Clinicial and Academic Programs, Texas Health Resources, The Center for Learning, Dallas, TX, USA and Barbara Reid, MSN, RN, Clinical and Academic Programs, Texas Health Resources, The Center for Learning, Arlington, TX, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: identify strategies used and lessons learned when healthcare system collaborated with academia so nursing employees could earn a Masters in Nursing Administration—at work. |
| Learning Objective #2: discuss the influence of student learning styles and faculty skills and attitudes on the success of synchronous learning and interactive television delivery (ITV). |
A 13-hospital healthcare system developed innovative relationships with both a community and university-based school of nursing so employees from system hospitals can become a nurse, earn a bachelors degree in nursing, or obtain a masters in nursing administration (MSN)—at work! This unique investment in our employees’ pursuit of academic degrees allows us to provide our hospitals with caring, competent, and confident registered nurses who are committed to life-long learning and to providing safe and exceptional patient and family-centered care.
First, using a state grant, the healthcare system designed, developed, and implemented a distance learning network to connect the hospitals and its community college partner. Employees who previously faced substantial socioeconomic barriers can pursue, with manager support and the system’s generous tuition reimbursement, a career in nursing by participating in interactive video-conferenced classes and clinical rotations—at their worksite.
Next, a partnership was established with a university-based school of nursing.
Nurse employees can pursue a Baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) by attending one-day classes for 2 semesters, or a Masters in Nursing Administration (MSN) by taking graduate courses—at the worksite. The healthcare system provides the masters-prepared nurses to serve as onsite faculty for both programs and the funding to connect the university to the system network.
The focus of this presentation will be the journey, strategies used, and lessons learned in this collaboration with academia to offer nurse employees the opportunity to earn a BSN and an MSN—at work. We will address the influence of student learning styles, and faculty skills and attitudes on the success of this synchronous learning/interactive television delivery (ITV) teaching method.
As with all collaborations, at least two partners are essential. We acknowledge the university’s dean of the school of nursing and the director of the graduate program in nursing administration.