Sunflower3

llg, "We need to combine the best of what the university-based programs have added to the profession and combine it with the best of what the diploma schools offered." I could not agree more with these comments. I attended a recent conference where the concept of 'Dedicated Education Units' was discussed, and I'm now in the process of replicating this model at my organization. Essentially, it involves cross-training of the experienced staff RNs (who are interested) to be adjunct clinical instructors, with a 1:1 student/RN ratio. The clinical faculty are present on the unit and function as faculty oversight for the rotation. They provide weekly objectives to be covered during a given week's rotation. Expected outcomes are that everyone wins: better student clinical education means higher quality new graduate RNs=better patient care outcomes. Schools of Nursing make the best use of their faculty resources, and the staff who choose to participate gain 'points' on the clinical ladder program at this organization, gain CE's for the training, etc. Thanks, Sunflower3

Suni, Have a calendar for each class and enter due dates of the weekly readings and assignments found on the course outline or syllabus. Refer daily to this calendar so you can plan ahead to work the assignment due dates into your schedule. This should help to keep you 'on track' to keep up with the workload of the course. Sunflower3

Are other certifications, such as in Health Information Technology, useful in this field? At my facility everyone is encouraged to gain certification in their field and for those just starting an Informatics position, this may be an option. Just a thought, Sunflower3

RNInformatics, This is great information-thanks so much for sharing these survey results! Sunflower3

ANALYNEB, Your best bet is to contact the staff development/nursing education dept. of an academic medical center, since they are used to providing practicums for students, of all disciplines. If they have an Informatics dept, they can assist you. If they don't yet have this dept., the staff development or IS depts that work with clinical systems will be your next point of contact. Hope this is helpful, Sunflower3

Glad to assist. All the best to you, in your educational pursuits! :) Sunflower3

My Master's was in Nursing Education, not advanced practice. So the focus for my DNP is Nursing Leadership. Between tuition reimbursement from my employer, and the two scholarships, I will have about $5K that I will have to pay out of pocket. An NP friend of mine is getting her DNP from Case Western Reserve's FPB School of Nursing. She got scholarship assistance and tuition reimbursement from her job, and will have no student loans when she graduates. At the doctoral level, schools of nursing receive funding from the government to assist students with tuition, since there is a shortage of doctorally-prepared nurse leaders/educators. Sunflower3

MagnoliaNurse, Yes, $1K/credit hr is steep. The good news is at the doctoral level, there are scholarships and grant funding that your school has access to, to assist with tuition for students at this level. After inquiring about this at my school, I was supplied with two different sources for scholarships, in addition to my student loans, so I will end up paying about half of what the original cost was stated, for my DNP degree. Sunflower3

AnnieB2, When shopping for an online degree, first ensure that it is CCNE-accredited. After you've established this requisite for quality, then look at the curriculum and it's focus (there are schools that provide two tracks: Advanced Practice for NP's and Nursing Leadership for all others). Then, decide if the program meets your own qualifications. For myself, that included studying at a school that had already established itself in the 'brick-n-mortar' format; essentially, I wanted the online program I attended to be an extension of the ground university, reflecting the same curriculum but provided in the online format. Pros: Online degree programs offer the most balanced approach to graduate learning-you can log onto your class from the comfort of your home, without interrupting your schedule for your job or family obligations to attend classes. As long as you meet the required weekly assignments, you will progress just fine. Cons: In order to be successful in the online learning environment, you must be self-driven and goal-oriented. You will be provided time frames for assignments that must be met, and it is up to you to actually follow thru with the assignment. Also, online programs tend to be more expensive in cost, since you are paying for the convenience factor associated with flexible schedules. For some learners, online degree programs can be isolating, since you are not attending a physical classroom, so learning from others can be limited. Lastly, most online graduate programs are fast-paced and accelerated, with a lot of information being covered in the 8 week session. Again, being an independent learner is the requisite for success with these programs. Evaluate your own learning style, job requirements, and family responsibilities when deciding if the online environment is right for you. I have been successful in the online classroom because I meet the above requirements for independent learning. I like the flexibility to tailor the weekly assignments around my children's school schedules/my work schedule. The support of my husband, academic advisor, faculty, and IT dept. have made for a successful journey in the virtual classroom. Hope this helps, Sunflower3 :)

Your school will give you ideas for sites that would meet the requirements. For my MSN, I was in the Nurse Educator track, and I spent some time in the Staff Development dept of another hospital, developing inservices and participated in their annual competencies. For academia experiences, you would contact the clinical coordinator of the college/university where you would want to gain the experience, asking them for their recommendations. They are usually glad to do this, and the experience is invaluable. Lastly, do know that you may need to initiate the contract process between the school and the clinical site, if this is required, for you to perform the clinical on-site. The school will provide the documents needed, you would simply need to follow up to ensure that the process is completed before your clinical is due to begin. Again, your school will assist you with this process. Best of luck with your future educational pursuits! Sunflower3

I did the online RN-BSN degree program at Regis University in Denver, CO. That program had 105 practicum hours. For the Community Health class, I spent 40 hours with a local school nurse. It was a high-quality program. I went on to get my MSN degree there, and am now in their DNP program in Nursing Leadership. It has been a positive and satisfying experience learning online. I would highly recommend it. Hope this helps, Sunflower3

Thanks babysaverRN! Glad to see that the funded ratios are below 100%! Congratulations to everyone who has received the award, up to this point. Sunflower3

BabysaverRN, Thank you for sharing this update. Would you mind sharing your debt ratio with the group, so we can understand what ratio is currently being funded by NERLP? For example, mine is at 67%. Thanks, Sunflower3

rninformatics, This is very good advice~thank you for sharing. I'm being considered for a Director-level position in Informatics that would combine clinical simulation, for a group of Clinical Analysts at the organization where I currently work as an Educator. In the past year, I've been working with the analysts (who currently report to IS) to streamline documentation requirements for nursing students and RNA's, in addition to my current Educator role, so I'm confident that I'm up to the challenge. Any advice you may have re: job description would be appreciated, since this is a new position and I may be assisting with writing the job description. Thank you, Sunflower3

llg, Thanks for the insight. I am using my expanded knowledge gained from the course to study the areas I am a bit weak in. Were you able to identify test questions that were being piloted (not included in the 2008 version of the study guide)? Sunflower3