Baccalaureate Degree Programs Research Articles

Green Strategies at Bastyr University's New Student Village

Abstract Bastyr University was established as the John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1978 in Seattle, Washington (USA). It is one of seven accredited naturopathic medical schools and has offered baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degree programs since 1989. It is considered one of the premier naturopathic universities in the country. In 1996, Bastyr relocated to its current location in the Saint Thomas Center, a former Catholic seminary building in Kenmore, Washington approximately 15 miles from downtown Seattle across Lake Washington. Its 51 acre campus is almost completely surrounded by Saint Edward State Park's dense fir and hemlock forest. The park abuts Lake Washington to the west, and is bordered on the other sides by additional wooded property, residential neighborhoods, and a small commercial area to the east. The former seminary buildings, completed in 1951, are located in a large open field (formerly a meadow) surrounded by evergreen and deciduous forest, as well as low-lying wetl...

Developing a Statewide Solution to the Faculty Shortage in Maryland

The nurse shortage continues into a third decade despite 10 years of increased pre-licensure enrollments resulting from innovative efforts by nursing programs to maximize faculty and infrastructure resources. Further efforts to increase capacity have been hampered by a nationwide faculty shortage that has resulted in the denial of thousands of qualified applicants to associate degree and baccalaureate degree programs. This article describes one state’s approach to the development and implementation of a financially robust, sustained approach to the lack of educational capacity in nursing programs and provides important lessons for replication to achieve measurably successful outcomes.

Examining Clinical Assessment Practices in U.S. Dental Hygiene Programs

Competency-based education (CBE) in dental hygiene education is intended to measure learned skills that prepare students to independently provide services for the public. A variety of standardized clinical assessment techniques (SCATs) are available to substantiate the competence of health care professionals, including, but not limited to, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), triple jump exams, standardized patients, and simulations. Standardized clinical examinations test students' abilities to treat diverse patients in a consistent, controlled setting. SCATs help prepare clinicians to safely treat patients of various complexities. The objectives of this study were to examine the variety of techniques used to assess clinical competence in U.S. accredited dental hygiene programs and to obtain program directors' attitudes regarding clinic assessment, with a focus on how SCATs are used. An online survey collected data from 125 directors (48 percent response rate). Approximately 97 percent of the responding programs used observation-type assessments followed by case studies (90 percent), self-assessment (85 percent), and mock boards (75 percent), with SCATs being the least used. The majority of responding directors (74 percent) indicated an interest in learning more about these SCATs. A chi-square test identified no significant difference between the use of SCATs by associate and baccalaureate degree programs, with program location also being irrelevant.

Public Health Nursing: What's in a Name?

Background: Florence Nightingale spoke of “health nursing,”and Lillian Wald coined the term “public health nurse.” What we call the nurse who works in the community has changed over time. This change often confuses health care providers and consumers alike. In schools of nursing, for example, students take courses in public health nursing that are often labeled community health. As the public health nursing role evolved, so did the nomenclature, leading some to question, “what is a public health nurse?”. Purpose: This study examines the history of public health nursing by exploring the shift in roles as the names changed throughout the late 19th century until today. It also explores the changes in educational requirements to meet the expectations of this specialized nurses' role. Methodology: A historical review of the published public health nursing literature beginning in the late 19th and throughout the 20th century was completed examining the meanings behind the changing nomenclature of this specialized nurses' role. Findings: Whether public health nurses cared for the sick poor or those who could pay, whether they worked in voluntary visiting nurses' organizations or in municipal health departments; whether they were educated in postgraduate programs or in baccalaureate degree programs, these nurses provided both curative and preventive services in the community. Summary Concluding Statement: The ability to continue to work in public health, regardless of the term applied to their work, shows the resiliency of public health nursing. Gaining clarity in the evolving role of the public health nurse offers greater opportunity today to educate leaders in public health nursing. Consider the many iterations of this role over time and how public health nurses continue to work towards improving the health status of individuals, families, populations, and communities.

Examining an Evolution: A Case Study of Organizational Change Accompanying the Community College Baccalaureate

This study examined the nature and degree of organizational change that occurs when community colleges offer their own baccalaureate degree programs. Utilizing qualitative research methodology, we investigated how executive administrators at two Florida colleges managed this momentous change process and how this transformation has affected their colleges’ day-to-day operations. Our findings shed light on several important themes that emerged in interviews with the administrators: justifying the need for the degree, acquiring state approval and regional accreditation, modifying existing college policies and services, meeting challenges that are inherent in this transition, and developing strategies for leading this institutional transformation. Our goal was to provide a better understanding of this multifaceted organizational change process to help community college stakeholders make educated decisions regarding the introduction of 4-year degree programs at their institutions.

The IRSC Baccalaureate Transition Team: Leading Change in a Culture of Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity

No other Florida community college has successfully developed and launched nine baccalaureate degree programs at one time. Indian River State College accomplished this goal—and gained Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Level II accreditation—in 12 months by establishing a college-wide Baccalaureate Transition Team within a culture of enhanced communication, collaboration, and creativity.

노인간호학 개설현황 및 교과과정 조사연구 - 4년제 간호학과를 중심으로 -

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to survey the present status of the gerontological nursing course in Baccalaureate degree programs(BSN) in Korea, so as to provide basic data for developing a standard model for a gerontological nursing curriculum. Method: Data on the contents of a gerontological nursing curriculum was collected from those programs that had a gerontological nursing course. Result: The results show that 48 schools(87.3%) offered a gerontological nursing course. Twenty-five schools(45.5%) had both lectures and clinical practicum, while 23 schools(41.8%) had only lectures. Twenty-seven schools(56%) offered a gerontological nursing course as an elective. Students earned the most number of credits in their senior year. The most common credit system for lecture subjects was 2 credits with 38 schools(79.2%) and a clinical practicum was 1 credit with 20 schools(80%). The issues identified were that gerontological nursing was an elective and not a mandatory course, a lack of clinical lab hours, and a lack of common learning objectives. Conclusion: Recommendations are made for better defined curricula in gerontological nursing. In addition, further investigations of the learners or students entering gerontological nursing to facilitate curriculum development and appropriate instructional strategies are needed.

The Community College Baccalaureate: Putting the Pieces Together

This article will address important puzzles about community colleges and their roles with baccalaureate delivery. To that purpose, the article is organized into five key sections. First, the rationale underlying the community college baccalaureate (CCB) and key policy issues will be described. Second, a glossary of terms will be offered to provide a foundation for research about baccalaureate degree programs and models involving community colleges. Third, a national summary of states where community colleges are authorized to confer baccalaureates will be discussed. Florida is home to the largest number of community colleges authorized to confer baccalaureates and will be discussed as an illustrative case of a bellwether movement. The fourth section will build on the first three and discuss issues and challenges for local and state leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to guide program development, future research, and policy exploration at the local, state and federal levels. Finally, our fifth section will offer our closing remarks and summarize briefly key predictions for the future in relation to the nation's CCB movement.

Overview and Summary: Professional Pathways in Nursing: Options to Seek, Start, and Sustain a Career

Citation: Donley, R., & Flaherty, M.J. (September 30, 2008) and Summary: Professional Pathways in Nursing: Options to Seek, Start and Sustain a Career OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol 13 No 3, Overview and Summary. Available: www.NursingWorld.org//MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/vol132008/No3Sept08/Overview.aspx This OJIN topic looks at the varied career patterns in nursing education and practice across time and across cultures. If readers of OJIN were to Google 'career ladders, they would find websites describing a multitude of workplace and career advancement programs, and, in the case of nursing careers, programs such as clinical ladders. These programs of upper mobility are now used as recruitment strategies in nursing. Raines and Taglareni give a snapshot of contemporary entry points into professional nursing in an era where further articulation is a fact of career planning and academic life. Their article presents a detailed and comprehensive discussion of the many entry gates and progression modes that are currently available in the United States (US). It provides an overview of the various nursing programs from beginning levels of practice to advanced practice models. Raines and Taglareni discuss the use of creative approaches to recruit more nurses as one strategy to address the nursing shortage. They suggest that improved status, and especially increased salaries, make baccalaureate and higher degree programs very attractive to diploma and Associate Degree in Nursing graduates, and to persons whose degrees are in other fields. Moving onward from first professional degree programs, Donley and Flaherty chronicle the development of articulation patterns which began in the US in the early 1960s and continue into the millennium. This article provides a summary of the historical evolution of career ladders in nursing in the US. It describes this evolution in three phases of development that have responded to the political, social, economic, and professional demands of the healthcare milieu during the past forty years. In phase one, academic career ladders were spiral staircases, poorly articulated entry and exit pathways. Phase two expressed the maturation of career ladders across all levels of nursing education and practice. In phase three, career ladders were built upon theoretical perspectives that enriched academic programs and clinical practice. The article concludes with a discussion of the value of clinical experience in educational programs and the value of clinical experience prior to graduate education, calling for more research and dialogue about the amount, type, and measurement of clinical experience to better inform legislation, accreditation, and healthcare outcomes. Penn, Wilson, and Rosseter discuss a new career pathway for clinicians as classroom teachers, researchers, and/or clinical instructors. This article, designed to help experienced professional nurses transition into faculty roles, presents a very detailed, comprehensive description of academic nursing. In this article Penn, Rosseter, and Wilson identify the skills and the educational preparation needed for teaching roles and outline the responsibilities of teachers. The authors discuss the various types of faculty appointments available to experienced nurses ranging from clinical to non-tenure-track to tenure-track appointments. The material is presented in an informal manner and the reader is given steps to be taken in order to be successful in the attainment and enactment of their new educator role. The authors present a detailed chart of the attributes deans and chairs of nursing education programs look for as they search for new faculty; this chart provides a blueprint for success for all faculty. An Eastern view of career mobility and educational advancement is presented by Chiang-Hanisko, Ross, Boonyanurak, Ozawa, and Ling-Chun Chiang. …

Career Pathways in Nursing: Entry Points and Academic Progression

The national spotlight on the Registered Nurse shortage has helped to generate strong interest in nursing careers among those new to the workforce and those seeking a career change. With salaries climbing, opportunities expanding, and the demand for nursing services on the rise, now is an exciting time to join the nursing profession. This article discusses the traditional entry points into Registered Nursing, specifically Baccalaureate Degree Programs, Associate Degree Programs, and Diploma Programs, as well as emerging routes, which include entry-level master’s programs, community college-based baccalaureate programs, and degree completion programs for Licensed Practical Nurses and other allied health providers. With multiple opportunities for progression to advanced degrees in nursing, the authors also touch on graduate education options including online programs, baccalaureate to doctoral programs, along with Clinical Nurse Leader and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.

Nursing students’ level of autonomy: A study from Turkey

Nursing curriculum programs developed to train future professional nurses, methods of teaching and learning and practice can either prepare or be an obstacle to the students' thinking and acting like independent professionals. This study was conducted for the purpose of determining the level of autonomy of nursing students in the baccalaureate degree program at Cumhuriyet University School of Nursing. The research was conducted with a total of 326 students. Two forms were used for data collection in the research. The first was a 15-question personal information form. The second was the 30 item autonomy subscale from the Sociotropy/Autonomy Scale (SAS). The research data were entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.0 and frequency distribution, arithmetic mean, variance analysis (One-Way ANOVA) and Independent Samples t-test were used in the analysis of data. According to the General Autonomy (GA) score mean from the SAS administered in this study the nursing students' GA score mean was 83.03+/-14.51 and the highest level of autonomy was found to be in the 1st year students (84.87+/-14.44), followed consecutively by 2nd year (83.18+/-15.09), 3rd year (82.72+/-15.80) and 4th year (81.47+/-12.81) students. The conclusion of the study is that the autonomy levels of the students who regarded the professional qualities given them by the nursing education as enough have been remarkably high. This suggests that the nursing curriculum program being used is not adequately supporting the development of autonomy in students.

Pharmacy Education and Practice in 13 Middle Eastern Countries

The Arab world has influenced the art and science of pharmacy for centuries. Pharmacy education and practice is continuing to evolve in the Arabic-speaking traditional Middle East countries, although relatively little information has been published in the English press. Our goal was to provide a high-level synopsis of conditions in this region. We selected 13 countries for review. Information was obtained by reviewing the available published literature and individual university and program web sites, as well as contacting program or country representatives. Seventy-eight active pharmacy schools in 12 countries were identified. At least 14,000 students (over 75% from Egypt) are admitted into baccalaureate degree programs every year. The 5-year baccalaureate degree remains the first professional degree to practice. While changes in pharmacy education have been relatively rapid over the past decade, the advancement of pharmacy practice, particularly in the private sector, appears to be slower. Hospital pharmacists often possess an advanced degree and tend to have a higher level of practice compared to that of community pharmacists. Despite the adversities that face academics and practitioners alike, there is a strong desire to advance the science and practice of pharmacy in the Middle East.

Introduction to the International Pharmacy Education Supplement

Introduction to the International Pharmacy Education Supplement

Decision Making by Baccalaureate Nursing Students in the Clinical Setting

Many researchers who have explored nurse decision making have concluded that decision making is a learned skill that must be taught by nurse educators. Yet little research has been conducted to explore nursing students' decision making. If nurse educators are to teach this skill, it is necessary to have a better understanding of the kinds of decisions students are making in the clinical setting and the factors that influence this process. Once we have a greater knowledge in this area, curricular materials can be developed to ensure this skill is taught throughout an undergraduate education, resulting in graduates who possess strong, independent, and interdependent decision making skills. This article will describe one component (the kinds of decisions) of a larger qualitative case study that explored the kinds of decisions and the factors that influenced nursing students' decision making throughout a baccalaureate degree program.

Pediatric Nurse Educator Shortage: Implications for the Nursing Care of Children

Maternal and child health (MCH) nurses are vital to caring for the nation's infants, children, and adolescents. A shortage of pediatric nursing educators has important consequences for the preparation of the next generation of MCH nurses. A Web-based survey of administrators and pediatric nursing faculty from U.S. schools of nursing with baccalaureate and advanced degree programs was conducted to assess perceptions of a pediatric nursing faculty shortage, and implications and solutions to such a shortage. Deans (n = 191) and pediatric faculty (n = 237) from schools of nursing responded to the survey. Institutions are representative of the 660 schools of nursing across the United States. Fifty percent of deans and 70% of pediatric nursing faculty members reported a shortage of pediatric nursing faculty. Large, public institutions (total school student enrollment over 15,000) expressed the most concern. The educational impact of the reported shortage included increased faculty workload, difficulty getting appropriate clinical practice settings, elimination of acute care clinical experiences, and reduction in pediatric content in curricula. Expected retirements of the current workforce (76% were over 45 years of age) without an increase in replacements will deepen the shortage in the coming decade. Pediatric faculty members focused on the need for competitive salaries (particularly compared to clinical salaries) and active mentoring programs as important factors in recruitment and retention of new faculty. Recommendations for stemming the decline in availability of pediatric nursing faculty are provided.

Educational and Career Pathways of Dental Hygienists: Comparing Graduates of Associate and Baccalaureate Degree Programs

The purpose of this study was to compare the educational and career pathways of graduates from associate degree (A.S./A.A.) and baccalaureate degree (B.S./B.A.) entry-level dental hygiene (DH) programs. A thirty-item, closed-ended questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 1,352 dental hygienists who were educated and licensed in California between 1990 and 2000. The response rate was 76 percent. Approximately half of the respondents had a degree prior to entering the DH program, and the elapsed time between degrees was greater for A.S./A.A. graduates (p=0.05). More B.S./B.A. graduates had earned or were seeking master's and other more advanced degrees: 11.9 percent versus 4.3 percent. Graduates from both types of programs were involved in professional and community organizations and held leadership positions. Most were currently practicing in the traditional clinical setting, with means of 3.6 and 3.3 days/week for the A.S./A.A. and B.S./B.A. graduates, respectively (p<0.05). More B.S./B.A. graduates held DH faculty positions (30.3 percent versus 4.3 percent, p<0.05) and other non-DH teaching positions (14.9 percent versus 8.6 percent, p<0.05) and had greater involvement with research (8.0 percent versus 3.6 percent, p<0.05). The two groups did not differ in regard to other dental and DH-related positions. In conclusion, graduates from B.S./B.A. programs are more likely to have positions in nontraditional settings.

Institutional Responsibilities and Workload of Faculty in Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene Programs

This article reports the results of a study conducted to determine the institutional responsibilities and workload of full-time faculty in baccalaureate dental hygiene programs. A mail questionnaire was sent to program administrators, who were asked to distribute it to faculty. Faculty reported an average work week of 50.5 hours, which includes 46.9 hours spent on paid activities and 3.6 hours spent on unpaid activities. In specific workload activities, the majority of faculty time was spent on teaching undergraduate students (56.8 percent), institutional service (14.9 percent), and research/scholarship (9.5 percent). Forty-seven percent of the faculty described their primary professional research as program/curriculum design, and 78 percent were not engaged in funded research. The most common form of scholarship reported by faculty was presentations at professional meetings; this outnumbered all other types of scholarly activity, including publications. Faculty spent significantly more time than they preferred on teaching undergraduate students and institutional service. Faculty spent significantly less time than they preferred on teaching graduate/first professional students, research/scholarship, professional growth, and public service. We recommend that future studies compare workloads and scholarly production of dental hygiene faculty in associate and baccalaureate degree programs. We also recommend future longitudinal assessments of institutional responsibilities and workload of baccalaureate dental hygiene faculty.

Self esteem and assertiveness of final year Turkish university students

This study developed a quantitative methodology to ascertain the level of self esteem and assertiveness of last year students in baccalaureate degree programs at Cumhuriyet University Nursing School, School for Health Sciences' Midwifery School, Education Faculty's Mathematics Teacher, Classroom Teacher, and Social Sciences Teacher programs and to determine if there is a correlation between self esteem and assertiveness. The research population was a total of 372 students who were in their final year of university in these programs. Sampling was not done in the research, the entire population was studied. However there was a total of 82 students who were not included in the research because of illness, absenteeism, registration on hold, who could not be found on campus or who did not want to participate in the research and who did not correctly complete the survey form. The research was conducted with total of 290 students. Total response rate was 77.9%. The data were collected using a "Personal Information Form," Stanley Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory (SEI) and Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS). Frequency distribution, t test, correlation and variance analysis were used in the analysis of the data. The results of the study were that the nursing students had the highest scores from SEI (80.64+/-15.83). Similarly the nursing students had the highest scores on the RAS (36.29+/-25.33).

Predictors of Success for Saudi Arabian Students Enrolled in an Accelerated Baccalaureate Degree Program in Nursing in the United States

In the mid 1980s, a professional nursing education program was initiated between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. Based on a perceived and documented need, a collaborative education and research program was established with George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, to begin building a community of new scholars to assist in the advancement of professional nursing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Four cohorts of Saudi citizens from three institutions (King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Saudi Arabia National Guard Hospital, and Ministry of Aviation and Defense Hospital), who held a degree in science or a related field, were enrolled in an accelerated baccalaureate program leading to a bachelor of science in nursing degree. This project was funded by Saudi Arabian sources. A descriptive research study was conducted to identify predictors of success in the program. Results indicated a rate of program completion that was higher than expected. Some of the first graduates went on for a doctor of philosophy degree, but not all enrolled completed the program. Many countries around the world are seeking ways to upgrade and increase the supply of qualified nurses within their own borders. This study identified those factors that were predictors of success for Saudi Arabian students who completed a baccalaureate degree in nursing program in the United States.

The Vanishing JD—How ACJS Certification Ensures Extinction of the Species

Criminal Justice departments across the country are experiening unprecedented growth. This growth has created a demand for qualified tenure‐track faculty. Obviously, it is important to maintain quality standards for the hiring of tenure‐track faculty during periods of growth. In an effort to improve the quality of Criminal Justice education, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences has adopted standards for certification of baccalaureate and graduate degree programs. One area adressed by the ACJS standards is the area of acceptable faculty credentials for certification. For example, graduate programs that desire the ACJS imprimatur cannot have a faculty with more than 1 in 10 faculty members who hold a Juris Doctor degree. Efforts to eliminate the JD from the CJ faculty ranks are misguided. Instead, CJ departments should focus on the individual candiadate. Graduates from top‐tier institutions with a history of scholarly productivity and who possess ample skills in empirical study should not be excluded from tenure‐track consideration solely because they lack a PhD. The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.—William Shakespeare, Henry VI (Act IV, Scene II)