CAA to discuss proposed nursing courses
August 28, 2019
The Council of Academic Affairs will be focusing on the new nursing program on Thursday during its 2 p.m. meeting in Room 4440 of Booth Library.
Marita Gronnvoll is the chair of the Council on Academic Affairs and is a communication studies professor. The CAA will discuss the new courses proposed as a part of Eastern’s potential four-year BSN degree.
On Aug. 21, The Daily Eastern News reported that Eastern’s Provost Jay Gatrell announced the new four-year program proposal at the Faculty Senate meeting on Aug. 20.
Currently, Eastern offers an RN to BSN program where students who are already registered nurses can come and earn their Bachelor’s in Science in Nursing degree.
The CAA will be voting on potential courses for the new program as well as revising the CAA bylaws.
Potential courses for the new four-year nursing major include 19 new courses and one revised course.
Classes being voted on include Pathophysiologic Concepts 1 and 2 (NUR 2612 and NUR 3612), Therapeutic Pharmacology 1 and 2 (NUR 2712 and NUR 3712), Professional Development 1, 2 and 3 (NUR 3423, NUR 3513 and NUR 4413 respectively) and Management of Health 1 and 2 (NUR 3836 and NUR 4636).
The council will also vote on classes to help nursing students prepare for real-world application of their degrees like NUR 3813 Evidence Guided Practice and NUR 4513 Transition to Practice.
The council will vote on a revised course: NUR 2613 Medical Terminology.
Finally, the council will vote on NUR 1511 Pathways, NUR 2822 Health Assessment, NUR 2823 Intro Health and Illness, NUR 3833 Mental and Behavioral Health, NUR 3835 Foundations of Nursing, NUR 4412 Health Systems, NUR 4534 Population-Based Care and NUR 4735 Advanced Concepts.
The new program will allow prospective nursing students to earn their entire four-year degree as a Panther, rather than transfer in from elsewhere.
To qualify for the new traditional nursing program, students would have to come in with their major declared as pre-nursing, allowing themselves a year of prerequisite courses here on campus before being able to apply as a full-time nursing student at the end of their freshman year.
Gatrell said he is expecting 175 to 180 nursing students per year and to graduate 60 to 70 from each class.
The proposal for the new program was approved to move forward to a Board of Trustees vote on Sept. 1, so the launch of it is still unknown.
Emilie Bowman can be reached at 581-2812 or ejbowman@eiu.edu
