RNs earn their baccalaureate degree @ home
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than 1 million new nurses will be needed by 2012 to fill a critical shortage. The BSN@HOME program allows registered nurses to earn their bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) while continuing to practice nursing in their home communities.
Earning her bachelor's degree in nursing through the BSN@HOME program has allowed Virginie Darrow to take on satisfying new professional challenges. Photo by Jim Gill
As a mother of two small children, Virginie Darrow dreamed of going back to school to earn her bachelor's degree in nursing. The BSN@HOME program, until recently known as the Collaborative Nursing Program (CNP), made it possible.
Classes online
Offered via the Internet through the combined resources of five University of Wisconsin nursing schools-UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Oshkosh-with support from UW-Extension, the goal of BSN@HOME is to provide working Wisconsin nurses the opportunity to earn their bachelor's degree without having to come to campus. "It's very difficult to go to school as an adult, maintain a household, and take time out to attend classes," Darrow says. "I jumped at the chance to start the online CNP."
UW degree
Each of the five UW nursing programs has national accreditation and is approved by the Wisconsin State Board of Nursing. Students select one of the campuses as their home institution and receive advising and their degree from that institution. Darrow selected UW-Green Bay.
A need for well-educated nurses
The idea for the program came after a 1993 survey of registered nurses in Wisconsin indicated there were about 9,000 registered nurses in the state who were interested in using distance-education technologies to complete a baccalaureate degree within a five-year period.
"The need for baccalaureate-prepared nurses in Wisconsin has never been higher," says Derryl Block, Ph.D., MPH, RN, professor and chair of the Professional Program in Nursing at UW-Green Bay. "Many practice settings, including public health and magnet hospitals, require or prefer BSN-prepared nurses because of their strong critical-thinking skills. BSN-prepared nurses can continue with graduate education to become expert clinicians, nurse practitioners, nurse educators and nurse executives. BSN@HOME is a vital link in nursing work-force development in Wisconsin."
Anytime, anyplace
A big advantage to online learning is the flexibility it provides, not only in terms of the times Darrow could complete assignments, but where she could complete them. Darrow moved to Madison in 2005, but continued with the UW-Green Bay-affiliated program. Even if she had moved again, she still could have continued the program. In the past, she had taken on-campus nursing courses in anticipation of earning her BSN, only to lose most of the credits when life circumstances required her to move to a different state. "With CNP, I could move around the world and still complete my coursework," she says.
Derryl Block, chair of the Professional Program in Nursing, UW-Green Bay
A nurse for the 21st century
Darrow, whose children are now in college, found the online learning experience to be very positive. She encourages her own children, as well as colleagues, to try it as part of their own education. "The teachers are very qualified and live up to high standards," she says. "Studying online taught me how to analyze my thought process and communicate exactly what I mean."
Darrow has had a long career as a licensed practical nurse and as a registered nurse. She worked for 16 years in an emergency room, spent time in intensive care units, and worked as an industrial nurse in a meat-packing plant. Has earning her BSN made her better at her job? "Yes," she says. "It's brought me into the 21st century as a nurse. It's also made me realize the barriers nurses face and how the public views nursing. It's really opened up my eyes."
Darrow, who graduated from UW-Green Bay with her BSN this May, was recognized with the Chancellor's Leadership Medallion for her "…significant and sustained leadership while maintaining evidence of academic quality, demonstration of meaningful campus and/or community involvement, and potential for future achievement and commitment to personal growth."
Ten successful years
The five UW degree-granting campuses are responsible for determining content and providing instructors for the program, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. UW-Extension facilitates the collaboration among the nursing-program partners and provides student-support services and the technical expertise that allows the flexibility for students to listen and view course materials online.— Lisa Agnew
BSN@HOME CHECKUP
- During the first 10 years of the program (1995-96-2005-06), more than 1,200 registered nurses have taken one or more BSN@HOME/CNP courses
- Over the past 10 years, 449 nurses have completed their baccalaureate degree
- A 2006 survey of graduates revealed: 42% have completed or are currently enrolled in master's degree programs in nursing
- Another 56% plan to enroll in master's degree programs
- 17% hope to pursue a doctoral program in nursing
- More than 450 registered nurses are currently enrolled in BSN@HOME
For more information:
www.BSNatHome.com
UW Higher Education Location Program: help@learn.uwsa.edu,
(800) 442-6459
Contact an advisor at any of the five participating campuses