The UTHSC College of Nursing and Methodist Heatlhcare announce a new partnership with LeMoyne-Owen College that will provide support to students who choose nursing as a career.
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Nursing and Methodist Healthcare announce a new partnership with LeMoyne-Owen College that will provide support to students who choose nursing as a career.
Dr. Ernestine Small has been hired by UTHSC as the coordinator and community liaison to facilitate this program. She will assist students during their college careers in choosing appropriate courses that will increase their chances of gaining entry into and successfully completing the bachelor’s degree in nursing program at UTHSC. Her job will include coordinating activities, offering student and faculty development, and assisting in recruitment and retention.
According to Dean of the UTHSC College of Nursing, Dr. Donna Hathaway, this expanded partnership will provide mentoring opportunities and will encourage minority students to choose nursing as a career, as well as provide an opportunity for RNs and others interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing to complete their general education courses at LeMoyne-Owen College.
Dean Hathaway said, “This partnership will facilitate students’ movement through programs by coordinating pre-nursing and nursing programs of study, scheduling courses in a way to encourage student progress and offering mentorship opportunities. Also, this will help address the issue of critical workforce shortages in the nursing profession.”
As a liaison between UTHSC and Methodist Healthcare, Dr. Small will work with Methodist to provide internships and experiences for students to gain exposure to health professions and practice settings. Also, she will counsel and advise RN to BSN students in their work settings, as well as assess the need for continuing education that could be offered at a Methodist Healthcare facility by UTHSC College of Nursing faculty.
“I see this as an asset to our continuing partnership with UTHSC, and we welcome this additional partner supporting our priority to have highly qualified nurses providing care to our patients,” said Dr. Paula Spears, Methodist Healthcare’s corporate director for professional practice and clinical development. “Our goals for patient care are built on advanced education, practice, research, and career development as foundational priorities and the addition of LeMoyne-Owen College expands options for providing excellence in nursing care delivery.”
Dr. Barbara Frankle, Dean of Faculty at LeMoyne-Owen College, stated that it is an exciting opportunity to work with these two prestigious institutions “to address the nation’s and the world’s critical shortage of nurses by providing a rich and challenging curriculum. Together the partners can develop the critical thinking and analytical skills, the professional capacities and the overall intellectual growth of nursing candidates. Together they will offer a solid liberal arts and scientific program of study.”
The partners will meet regularly to discuss and evaluate curriculum and student achievement. The first UTHSC bachelor’s degree in nursing class will begin in July 2005.