Penn State nursing school to become academic unit with dean

University Park, Pa. -- Penn State's programs in the School of Nursing have experienced significant growth in enrollments, research and outreach, contributing to the health care of residents in Pennsylvania and across the nation. To continue and support the growth, the Board of Trustees today (May 16) approved an administrative change that makes the School of Nursing an independent academic unit and changes the title of the person who oversees it from director to dean, effective July 1, 2008.

"The School of Nursing is a complex organization providing five academic programs ranging from associate to doctoral and operating at 10 campuses throughout Pennsylvania," said Rodney Erickson, provost and executive vice president. "Each campus meets a major need in its community by preparing well-educated nurses to meet the demands of their local population and by serving as a resource for local health care institutions."
   
The school will maintain a strong relationship with its original academic home, the College of Health and Human Development, as well as with the College of Medicine and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. More than half of all junior and senior baccalaureate nursing students receive a majority of their clinical experiences at the Hershey Medical Center, resulting in a large number of students being hired there after graduation.
   
Over the last four years, overall enrollments in the nursing programs have increased significantly with a 22 percent rise in baccalaureate program enrollments and a 34 percent increase in graduate program enrollments. More than 1,400 students are enrolled at 10 locations.
   
Another growth area is the online initiative that allows registered nurses to earn bachelor of science degrees through the World Campus. Currently 157 students are enrolled in the degree program and many others take courses.

Continuing education courses also are anticipated to expand because of a state law, Act 58, which requires 30 units of continuing education for registered nurses renewing their licenses in Pennsylvania.
   
"Most nursing schools at universities in the Big Ten and nationally are independent colleges or schools headed by deans," Erickson said. "This administrative reorganization will help to respond to the major growth in nursing education expected over the next several years. Applicants in graduate nursing programs are interested in specialty programs, and the new school can focus on expanding the number and scope of specialty tracks available. Also, the School of Nursing has increased its externally funded research program in recent years, and the reorganization will create new opportunities for further growth.
   
"Nursing education will play an integral role in the transformation of health care in this country and in the evolution of health sciences at the University," he added. "Nursing research and practice are pivotal in shaping a health care delivery system responsive to the needs of our population. The school will have the status and visibility to contribute significantly to advancing the health science mission of Penn State and to compete most effectively with peer programs within the Commonwealth and across the nation."