Health Care Programs Updates 2009

George Mason University

• Received a HRSA award: Mason Partners for Education in Gerontology (PEG). The grant is for faculty development in gerontological nursing so that faculty teaching undergraduate nursing student are knowledgeable and competent in care of older adults. Offers both classroom and clinical courses. Participation in the program will help faculty who may be interested in obtaining certification as a gerontological nurse.
• Hired two new faculty members, Lisa Vandemark and Lora Peppard. Dr. Vandemark has a PhD. in Geography. She uses GIS technology to assess the health and well being of communities and does research in reducing community violence and health behaviors among children. Dr. Peppard is a psych/mental health nurse practitioner who has been working at DeWitt Army Hospital with their Wounded Warriors' Behavioral Health Program.
• DNP program was approved by the GMU Board of Visitors late last month and  will go to SCHEV in December.
• Dr. Joyce Hahn, SoN has been awarded a $92,892 Advanced Education Nurse Traineeship (AENT) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
• Along with Patti Connor-Ballard, Interim CNE of the INOVA System, GMU hosted a Nursing Leadership Consortium last month. The purpose of the meeting was to bring nurse leaders from all the local health care systems and nursing schools to identify how we can work together to meet the healthcare needs of Northern VA. We had a great discussion on gaps between education and practice.

Marymount University

• Marymount University began DNP(Doctor of Nursing Practice)  program in fall, 2009 with varied entry levels. The DNP has entry levels at the Masters for advance practice practitioners and clinical specialists.  There is an entry for Masters prepared nurses who are not advanced practice nurses, for example someone with a Masters in education.  These would complete the FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) course before the DNP courses. There is BSN entry directly into the DNP.

Northern Virginia Community College

• Health Information Management
  • Expanded HIM Associate Degree to 50 students
  • Revised HIM curriculum to admit as a cohort and to compress the time it takes for completion
  • Submitted grant proposal to U. S. Department of Labor to establish HIM certification for incumbent workers and to create Patient Administration Specialist certificate for entry level workers (through Workforce Development and Continuing Education)
  • Researching the feasibility of Electronic Health Records career studies certificate
• Other
  • Researching feasibility of Occupational Therapy Assistant program
  • Researching feasibility of Orthotics and Prosthetics program

Old Dominion University

Old Dominion University is actively working on the development of a concurrent enrollment curriculum to enable AAS students with a previously earned BS degree to concurrently work toward the BSN degree while enrolled in the community college nursing program.  We are still working our way through approvals at ODU, and getting feedback from our Community College partners throughout the state.

For-Profit Proprietary schools continue to spring up all over the Commonwealth which creates challenges for clinical sites and the demand for faculty numbers.  These programs have targeted the pre-licensure population.  The economic downturn has forced individuals with baccalaureate degrees in areas that are not highly marketable to consider the nursing profession.  This group of individuals is interested in options that will produce the quickest results with limited duplication.  Therefore, second degree nursing tracks are an attractive option. 

A related note is the development of clinical nurse leader tracks.  These tracks prepare generalist master’s graduates and in many instances attract the students in the second degree category.  The one caveat is nursing schools must have a clinical partner.  The Veterans Administration is a major consumer of CNLs and has as a long term goal the addition of CNLs in all their facilities

Shenandoah University
Launched DNP program fall 2008