Mag_text_Spring 06 - Curry College

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Leading the WayThousands of area nurses have graduated from CurryCollege’s undergraduate nursing programs over thepast thirty years, and they in turn have touched countlessnumbers of patients, families and communitiescreating a web of caring throughout the nation and theworld.Curry College is now pleased to continue that traditionof excellence at the graduate level.The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved CurryCollege’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) on April 28, 2008. TheBoard’s affirmative vote was the culmination of extensive time andeffort by Dr. Linda Caldwell, Dr. Elizabeth Kudzma, Dr. LindaTenofsky, Dr. Donald Anderson, and former Dean of Continuingand Graduate Studies Judith Stoessel, supported by the NursingDepartment and the Graduate Council.The Curry College MSN is designed to develop an advanced level ofcompetence in general nursing, and focuses on educating ClinicalNurse Leaders (CNL ® ). This new nursing role was developed by theAmerican Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and othernurse leaders to improve the quality of patient care and better preparenurses to thrive in the current and future health care system.Dr. Elizabeth Kudzma leads the program as Director. A longtime,highly valued faculty member, Dr. Kudzma has heldroles in regional and national nursing associations includingthe Commission on Collegiate Nursing EducationAccreditation Review Committee, and the MassachusettsDepartment of Higher Education’s Nurse of the FutureCommittee.“CNLs are nurses who are accountable for patientcare at the bedside, but who also use evidencebasedpractice to evaluate protocols, make riskanalyses, and serve as a catalyst for system changeand quality management of their environment,”explains Dr. Kudzma.“The CNL is a generalist master’s role and theultimate goal is to have CNLs available for eachinstitutional unit. The creation of this new role is aparadigm change to system safety and how nurses workwithin the system. It’s a shift from nurses at the bedsidefocusing on individual level patient safety to more systemsafety and situational awareness.14 Curry College Magazine / Winter 2009
CURRY COLLEGELAUNCHESMSN-CNL ® PROGRAM“For example, a unit-based CNL who notesthat patient falls are more likely to occur inpatterns will explore why this is happening,explore the fall pattern and seek solutionswhich will safeguard future patients. TheClinical Nurse Leader will seek to implementpreventative actions throughout the unit ororganization as appropriate.”Graduates of the program will be eligibleto take AACN’s Commission on NurseCertification’s CNL ® certification exam. TheCurry College MSN also includes traditionalelements necessary to pursue a doctoraleducation in Nursing.The MSN-CNL ® program features a cohortformat where students learn with the samegroup of peers proceeding step-by-stepthroughout the program. Classes meet oneday a week for 15 weeks over five semesterswith summers off. The full MSN programcan be completed in two and a half years. Thefirst cohort began in Fall 2008 on the Miltoncampus. The program will also be offered atthe Plymouth campus beginning in Fall2009.The MSN-CNL ® is the fourth graduate levelprogram offered at Curry College.“Our growing number of graduate programsreflects the academic strength, responsiveness,and vitality of our institution,” saysDr. Ruth Sherman, Dean of Continuing andGraduate Studies.“Curry College has developed this newprogram based on our changing communityand societal needs. There is a significantdemand and growing need for nursingeducation programs at all levels – programswhich provide entry into the nursing field,programs for degreed individuals who areseeking a fast track into nursing, andprograms which provide career advancementopportunities for nurses. Curry College offersall of these nursing education options.”Q&A withDr. ElizabethKudzmaDirector of theMSN-CNL ® ProgramQ. What drove the development of the MSN program?A. At Curry, we have had an undergraduate nursing program since1977, over 30 years. Our graduates have been asking for a graduate programdesigned for nurses who want to enhance their practice with cutting-edgeknowledge and skills while still staying “bedside.” We started working on theconcept for our MSN program in 2005 and developed our program inresponse to changing societal and community needs. We chose to follow theAmerican Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) guidelines which callfor the creation of a new nursing role - the Clinical Nurse Leader or CNL ®- to better meet patient needs within the health care delivery system. TheCNL program advances clinical judgment and provides the tools that arenecessary for career success in the demanding healthcare environment, yetkeeps the nurse with the patient.Q. Are there other unique features of the Curry College MSN?A. One of the most unique aspects of our program is that we havenurses from a number of specialties - pediatrics, maternity, med surgical,community health care and psych taking part. Our students come from across-section of the healthcare industry. This diversity lends itself to bringinga broad array of backgrounds and experiences to the classroom which leadsto a greater level of learning. It’s also the only MSN-CNL ® program in easternMassachusetts. In addition to coursework, our students will work withour clinical partners - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, VA BostonHealthcare System, Milton Hospital and Jordan Hospital - who have allcommitted to help grow the Clinical Nurse Leader program.Q. Has the program launch been successful?A. We are very pleased with the response we have received so far.Curry received approval from the Massachusetts Department of HigherEducation at the end of April 2008 and we started recruiting our first cohortin mid-May. Applications were plentiful and weaccepted and enrolled 20 students inthe first cohort that started inMilton in Fall 2009. Weare planning to launchFall 2009 cohorts atboth our Plymouthand Milton campuses.Help usspread the word!If you are interested in serving as an alumni recruiter forthe Curry MSN-CNL ® program, let us know. We’ll supplyyou with plenty of promotional materials to share with yourcolleagues and friends. For more information, please visitwww.curry.edu or contact Judith Hammond, coordinatorfor MSN Admission, at jhammond0707@curry.edu or617-333-2243.Winter 2009 / Curry College Magazine 15
Page 1 and 2: Curry College MagazineWinter 2009A
Page 3 and 4: Curry Magazine is publishedtwice a
Page 5 and 6: CONGRATULATIONSCLASS OF 2008!It was
Page 7 and 8: PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENTTakes “Quant
Page 9 and 10: Speaking CenterStudents RepresentCu
Page 11 and 12: Aberdeen, Scotland. The 12th Intern
Page 18 and 19: Hooray for Hollywood!Curry Students
Page 20 and 21: 75 Years of BroadcastingCelebrated1
Page 22 and 23: ATHLETICS UNVEILSREDESIGNEDCOLONELL
Page 24 and 25: The 2008 Colonels wound up establis
Page 26 and 27: Student Center Construction Continu
Page 28 and 29: Welcome Tim McCabe, Individual Givi
Page 30 and 31: HOMECOMING &FAMILY WEEKEND 2008The
Page 32 and 33: WONDERING WHAT'S NEW WITH YOUR'65Fr
Page 34 and 35: She works with fellow Curry alumniN
Page 36 and 37: Mindy Paige '03 and Jason Grinacoff
Page 38 and 39: EngagementsAlumniJason Ouellette '9
Page 40: CURRY MAGAZINECurry College1071 Blu

Mag_text_Spring 06 - Curry College

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?