Paper
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
681
The Grow Your Own Model: A Path to Leadership in Nursing
Dianne E. Taylor, EdD, APRN, BC, Jacquelyn D. Jordan, PhD, RN, Elizabeth P. Crusse, MS, MA, RN, and Vicky P. Kent, PhD, RN, CNE. Nursing, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA
| Learning Objective #1: describe the impact of the "Grow Your Own" model on nursing education. |
| Learning Objective #2: discuss how the "Grow Your Own" model contributes to the development of nurse leaders. |
The shortage of nursing faculty in the United States is linked to the overall nursing shortage. The demand for nurses is projected to dramatically increase. Nursing education programs do not have the current capacity to increase their student enrollment because of a lack of qualified nurse educators. In order to meet the demand for more nurses, nursing education programs need to create innovative ways to educate faculty as well as prepare them for leadership roles.
In January 2005, Towson University, Department of Nursing developed an innovative model to address the faculty shortage within the state of Maryland. Towson replicated the Grow Your Own Model from other educational settings and applied it to the master’s nursing education program in September 2005. The model, an accelerated academic schedule, required each student to attend graduate school full-time and complete the program within 18 months. Program strengths include two practical experiences, one in leadership/teaching and one in community-based nursing.