CONTACT: Leslie Eikleberry, Director of Public Relations, 785-827-5541 ext. 1127

August 16, 2004

Kansas Wesleyan University’s Nursing Education faculty are doubly happy about the new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree that will begin this fall. Not only has Kansas Wesleyan received approval for the program from the Kansas State Board of Nursing, but it also received $37,500 in start-up funds to get the new program up and running.

Although Kansas Wesleyan currently offers a BSN degree program for registered nurses who have yet to complete a bachelor’s degree – a program it will continue – the new degree program was developed for students who are not registered nurses. This proposal was funded in part by the Community Health Investment Program of the Salina Regional Health Foundation and the Salina Regional Health Center (SRHC).

According to Dr. Patricia Brown, Director of Nursing Education, nurses who earn a BSN degree bring more to their positions because of the broader scope of knowledge obtained during the baccalaureate process. Additionally, she noted, studies have shown that hospitals with a larger number of nurses with bachelor’s degrees tend to have lower patient morbidity rates.

Kansas Wesleyan’s new program was developed in response to demand, both statewide and locally, Brown said. She explained that in Kansas, hundreds of potential nursing degree applicants are turned away because the existing programs in the state do not have enough open positions for all of the applicants. Brown noted that nursing education programs limit the number of students in order to provide the optimal educational experience for those accepted into the programs.

Another reason for the new degree program is that SRHC has indicated an interest in increasing the number of nurses with BSN degrees, Brown said. She added that SRHC also has indicated that it wants nurses in middle management positions to have BSN degrees.

Additionally, the nursing field is projected to be the fastest growing field through 2012. Earlier in the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that registered nurses top the list of the 10 occupations with the largest projected job growth in the years 2002-2012. Although registered nurses have listed among the top 10 growth occupations in the past, this is the first time in recent history that they have ranked first, according to the American Nurses Association.

Brown said that persons interested in Kansas Wesleyan’s new BSN degree program should first apply to the university’s Admission Office. Qualified students then will be admitted to the Nursing Education program in the second semester of their sophomore year, she explained.

For more information about Kansas Wesleyan University’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program for persons with no prior nursing experience, please contact Dr. Patricia Brown at 785-827-5541, ext. 2311 or ext. 2313.

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