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College of Nursing Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 180 University Avenue Newark, New Jersey 07102
Self Study October 11, 12, & 13, 2010
Prepared for: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Programs, Amended April 2009 used for this self-study.
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Table of Contents
Pages
CCNE On-Site Evaluation Planning: General Information 4-7
Introduction and Overview 8-10
Standards/Key Elements
Standard I Program Quality: Mission & Governance 11-21
I-A The mission, goals and expected student outcomes are congruent with those of the parent institution and consistent with relevant professional nursing standards and guidelines for the preparation of nursing professionals.
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I-B The mission, goals, and expected student outcomes are reviewed periodically and revised, as appropriate, to reflect: professional nursing standards and guidelines; and the needs and expectations of the community of interest.
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I-C Expected faculty outcomes in teaching, scholarship, service, and practice are congruent with the mission, goals, and expected student outcomes.
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I-D Faculty and students participate in program governance. 18
I-E Documents and publications are accurate. References to the programs offerings, outcomes, accreditation/approval status, academic calendar, recruitment and admission policies, transfer of credit policies, grading policies, degree completion requirements, tuition, and fees are accurate.
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I-F Academic policies of the parent institution and the nursing program are congruent. These policies support achievement of the mission, goals, and expected student outcomes. These policies are fair, equitable, and published and are reviewed and revised as necessary to foster program improvement. These policies include, but are not limited to, those related to student recruitment, admission, retention, and progression.
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I-G There are established policies by which the nursing unit defines and reviews formal complaints.
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Standard II Program Quality: Institutional Commitment & Resources 22-37
II-A Fiscal and physical resources are sufficient to enable the program to fulfill its mission, goals, and expected outcomes. Adequacy of resources is reviewed periodically and resources are modified as needs.
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II-B Academic support services are sufficient to ensure quality and are evaluated on a regular basis to meet program and student needs.
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II-C The chief nurse administrator. 30
II-D Faculty members are: sufficient in number to accomplish the mission, goals, and expected student and faculty outcomes; academically prepared for the areas in which they teach; and experientially prepared for the areas in which h they teach.
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II-E When used by the program, preceptors, as an extension of faculty, are academically and experientially qualified for their role in assisting in the achievement of the mission, goals, and expected student outcomes.
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II-F The parent institution and program provide and support an environment that encourages faculty teaching, scholarship, service, and practice in keeping with the mission, goals, and expected faculty outcomes.
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Standard III Program Quality: Curriculum & Teaching-Learning Practices 38-62
III-A The curriculum is developed, implemented and revised to reflect clear statements of expected individual student learning outcomes that are congruent with the program’s mission, goals, and expected aggregate outcomes.
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III-B. Expected individual student learning outcomes are consistent with the role for which the program is preparing its graduates. Curricula are developed, implemented and revised to reflect professional nursing standards and guidelines, which are clearly evident with the curriculum, expected student learning outcomes and expected aggregate student outcomes.
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III-C The curriculum is logically structured to achieve expected individual and aggregate students outcomes.
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III-D. Teaching Learning practices and environments support the achievement of expected individual student learning outcomes and aggregate student outcomes.
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III-E. The curriculum and teaching –learning practices consider the needs and expectations of the identified community of interest.
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III-F Individual student performance is evaluated by the faculty and reflects achievement of expected individual student learning outcomes. Evaluation policies and procedures for individual student learning performance are defined and consistently applied.
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III-G Curriculum and teaching learning practices are evaluated at regularly scheduled intervals to foster ongoing improvement.
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Standard IV Program Effectiveness: Aggregate Student & Faculty Outcomes 63-76
IV-A Surveys and other data sources are used to collect information about student, alumni, and employer satisfaction and demonstrated achievements of graduates. Collected data include, but are not limited to, graduate rates, NCLEX-RN, pass rates, certification examination pass rates, and employment rates, as appropriate.
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IV-B Aggregate student outcome data provide evidence of the program’s effectiveness in achieving the mission, goals, and expected outcomes.
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IV-C Aggregate student outcome data provide evidence of the program’s effectiveness in achieving its mission, goals, and expected outcomes.
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IV-D Aggregate student outcome data are used, as appropriate, to foster ongoing program improvement.
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IV-E Aggregate faculty outcomes are consistent with and contribute to achievement of the program’s mission, goals, and expected student outcomes.
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IV-F Information from formal complaints is used, as appropriate, to foster ongoing program improvement.
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Summary 75-76
Appendix A. Documents for Standards I–IV in the Resource Library and Web Linked
1. Supporting Documents for Standard I: Mission & Governance 2. Supporting Documents for Standard II: Institutional Commitment & Resources 3. Supporting Documents for Standard III: Curriculum & Teaching/Learning Practices 4. Supporting Documents for Standard IV: Program Effectiveness
Appendix B. Materials Included with Self-Study Report B-I. Standard I B-I.1 College of Nursing brochures, “A New Era” and “Facts” B-I.2 Evaluation Plan B-I.3 Organization Chart B-II. Standard II B-II.1 Faculty B-II.2 Part-time Lecturers B-II.3 Position Descriptions for BS Course Coordinator and MS Specialty Director B-III. Standard III B-III.1 BS Student Learning Outcome Exemplars B-III.2 MS Student Learning Outcome Exemplars B-III.3 BS Essentials cross-walk with BS Curriculum B-III.4 MS Essentials cross-walk with MS Curriculum B-IV. Standard IV (see Evaluation Plan under Standard I)
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CCNE On-Site Evaluation Planning: General Information
Official Name of Institution: College of Nursing Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Type of Institution: Public Carnegie Classification: One (1) Does your nursing unit currently offer curricula via distance education? If yes, is 50% or more of the required academic credit hours in nursing accrued through distance education activities.
Nursing Program YES (<50%)
YES (>50%)
No N/A
Baccalaureate X Master’s X
DNP X *To be visited for CCNE accreditation at a later time
NURSING PROGRAM INFORMATION Degree Programs Offered Student Data: Identify all baccalaureate and master’s degree tracks offered by the nursing unit. For each track, list the current enrollment data, as well graduation data for the previous academic year. For the Baccalaureate program, include only nursing students (not pre-nursing students).
Nursing Program
Number of student enrolled
Number of graduates
Baccalaureate 2009-2010 2010 Generic 548 124
RN Completion 76 17 Accelerated 16 6
Totals
640
147
Master’s Acute Care Nurse Practitioner 37 7
Adult and Aging 42 10 Family 57 12
Pediatrics 40 6 Women’s Health 16 3
Psych/Mental Health 16 4 Community Health 5 3
Total
213
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Doctor of Nursing Practice DNP 12 3
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ACCREDITATION AND APPROVAL
Institutional Accreditation:
Institutional Accreditor Last Review Next Scheduled Review Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools
2008
Unknown
Specialized Accreditation:
Specialized Accreditor Last Review Next Scheduled Review Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Baccalaureate in Nursing April 21, 2001 Master’s in Nursing April 21, 2001
DNP Fall, 2011
State Board of Nursing Approval: Nursing Program Approved Last Review Next Scheduled Review Baccalaureate 2009 State Board informed of
change in leadership in College of Nursing
None scheduled.
Master’s 2009 State Board informed of change in leadership in College
of Nursing
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Identify any post-master’s certificate programs offered by the nursing unit.
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Adult and Aging
Family Pediatrics
Women’s Health Psych/Mental Health
Community Health Identify any doctoral degree programs (other than the Doctor of Nursing Practice program) offered by the nursing unit:
PhD in Nursing Identify any joint degree programs in nursing offered with any other unit at the institution.
None.
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NCLEX-RN Pass Rates for the Last Three Years (Academic Calendar) Year # students taking NCLEX-RN
for first time Pass Rate for first time takers
NCLEX-RN Pass Rate for ALL test takers
2007-08 147 77.85% 78% 2008-09 110 88.18% 92% 2009-10 127 85.83% 89% Certification Pass Rates for the Last Three Years (Academic or Calendar) Year Certification/
Organization Certification Exam by Specialty Area
# students taking exam
Certification Pass Rate
07/10 ANCC Adult NP 4 75% 07/10 ANCC Family NP 6 100% 07/10 ANCC Acute Care NP 3 100% 07/10 ANCC Pediatric NP 1 100% Psych APN 0 n/a Nursing Program Faculty CCNE recognizes that faculty members may teach across program levels. Nonetheless, the institute must estimate the faculty full-time-equivalent by program level for the academic year in which this form is submitted. Identify the number (headcount) of faculty currently devoted to the nursing unit (Includes Dean Holzemer) # full-time # part-time Total # Faculty 37 49 86 Identify the faculty full-time equivalent (FTE) currently devoted to the baccalaureate degree program Full-Time FTE Part-time FTE Total Faculty FTE 19 10.45 29.45 Identify the faculty fill-time-equivalent (FTE) currently devoted to the master’s degree program. Full-time FTE Part-time FTE Total Faculty FTE 12.0 3.4 15.4 Identify the faculty full-time-equivalent (FTE) currently devoted to the Doctor of Nursing practice program: Full-time FTE Part-time FTE Total Faculty FTE 4.0 4.0
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Distance Education Does your nursing unit currently offer curricula (or any part thereof) via distance education? Baccalaureate (X) Yes
If yes, please provide a brief description of the distance learning offerings at the baccalaureate level: Registered nurses who are enrolled in the baccalaureate program can complete the program on-line. No clinical courses are on-line. If yes, is 50% or more of the required academic credit hours in nursing accrued through distance education? (X) Yes for RN students only.
Master’s (X) Yes If yes, please provide a brief description of the distance learning offerings at the master’s level: All of the core courses outlined in Table 7 except Advanced Health Assessment are offered on-line. None of the clinical courses are offered on-line. If yes, is 50% or more of the required academic credit hours in nursing (excluding practica) accrued through distance education activities? (Yes) As described above, approximately 50% of the Masters course work is offered on-line.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (X)
If yes, please provide a brief description of the distance learning offerings at the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. The entire post-Masters DNP program is offered on-line.
If yes, is 50% or more of the required academic credit hours in nursing (excluding practica) accrued through distance education activities? (X) Yes
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INTRODUCTION and OVERVIEW
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national public research university and the
state’s preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. Rutgers is dedicated to teaching
that meets the highest standards of excellence; to conducting research that breaks new ground; and to
turning knowledge into solutions for local, national, and global communities.
As it was at our founding in 1766, the heart of our mission is preparing students to become productive
members of society and good citizens of the world. Rutgers teaches across the full educational spectrum:
preschool to precollege; undergraduate to graduate and postdoctoral; and continuing education for
professional and personal advancement. Rutgers is New Jersey’s land-grant institution and one of the
nation’s foremost research universities, and as such, we educate, make discoveries, serve as an engine
of economic growth, and generate ideas for improving people’s lives
Rutgers is the sole university in the United States that is a colonial college, a land-grant institution, and a
public university. The university draws on a storied legacy of innovation and strong ties to a complex and
diverse state to serve the public through education, research, and community engagement. Rutgers was
reaccredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 2008.
Rutgers is deeply rooted in New Jersey, a densely populated, diverse, and complex state that is a
microcosm of 21st-century America and has a diverse student body of over 52,000 students and 13,000
faculty. Rutgers University has three main campuses, and the College of Nursing is located on both the
Newark and New Brunswick campus. There is a department of nursing in the College of Arts & Sciences
on the Camden campus but it is a totally separate entity from the College of Nursing-Newark & New
Brunswick. The New Brunswick Campus is the birthplace of Rutgers. Comprising five smaller
campuses—Busch, College Avenue, George H. Cook, Douglass, and Livingston—it is home to more than
36,000 students and more than 8,200 faculty and staff. An inviting, tree-lined, 40-acre campus in the
heart of a major metropolitan area in southern New Jersey, Rutgers–Camden is home to 5,400 students
and more than 850 faculty and staff. Newark is a cosmopolitan campus in the University Heights section
of New Jersey’s largest city. Rutgers–Newark has more than 11,000 students—from the U.S. and 70
other countries – and 1,400 faculty and staff.
Rutgers-Newark awards approximately 60 PhDs, 1000 graduate degrees, and 1200 baccalaureate
degrees each year, and is ranked 12th in the nation for quality among small research universities by the
National Faculty Productivity Index. We are committed to expanding and strengthening our graduate
programs, faculty research, and external research support, and to providing extensive research
opportunities to undergraduates under the guidance of our outstanding faculty.
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Located in the heart of New Jersey’s largest and most important city, we are deeply committed to
engagement with Newark and surrounding communities through teaching, research, public service, and
experiential learning. We are an integral part of Newark’s exciting revitalization, which is recreating a
dynamic downtown at its core. Our 37-acre campus places us in the center of the educational, healthcare,
government, business, financial, legal and cultural district of downtown Newark, and adjacent to five other
higher education institutions with a total student population of 35,000. We will continue to expand our
enrollments, and we will become increasingly a residential campus. We will also continue to appoint
faculty who welcome the opportunities to enhance teaching and research through engagement with our
metropolitan community.
Rutgers College of Nursing celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007. Discussions to initiate a School of
Nursing began around 1918 by Mabel Smith Douglass, founding dean, New Jersey College for Women.
Not until 1928, did the Rutgers Board of Trustees approve a diploma nursing program affiliated with
Rutgers. Then, in 1952, the Rutgers Trustees approved a Division of Nursing, which allowed for the first
university-based generic BS major in nursing in the State of New Jersey. In 1955, Rutgers nursing
program achieved full accreditation from the National League for Nursing. In 1956, the Rutgers Board of
Trustees changed the designation of the Division of Nursing to the College of Nursing. At that time, Dr.
Hildegard E. Peplau developed and offered the first clinical nurse specialty graduate program in the
nation which established the field of psychiatric/mental health nursing. In 1966, Sigma Theta Tau, Alpha
Tau Chapter, was approved. Then, in 1990, the first PhD program in Nursing in New Jersey was
launched. The DNP program was approved by the faculty in 2007.
Major changes since 2000 CCNE Accreditation Report:
Curricular
1. Initiated a 14 month Accelerated second degree RN program for individuals with degrees in
another field in 2004.
2. Initiated a Post-MS Doctor of Nursing Practice Program (DNP) in 2007 that will be reviewed for
accreditation in fall, 2011 by CCNE. Faculty have voted to initiate a post-baccalaureate DNP
program beginning in fall, 2012, with an option for 2011.
3. In 2009, faculty voted to initiate a Nursing Administration MS program, which became the post-
baccalaureate DNP Nursing Leadership program to open in fall, 2011.
4. PhD program changed from traditional on-site delivery model to an on-line delivery model in
2006.
5. The School Nurse program will be changed from an undergraduate certificate program to a
graduate certificate program in 2011.
6. During 2009-2010 academic year, the College of Nursing with the support of the Graduate School
made the decision to move the MS and DNP degree programs out of the Graduate School and
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under the total control of the College of Nursing beginning September 2010; only the PhD
program remains within the Graduate School.
Administrative
Dorothy DeMaio was dean during the 2000 CCNE accreditation. Since that time, two permanent
deans have occupied the position (Hurdis Griffith 2000-2003 and Felicia Lashley, 2003-2008); from
2008-2009 (September) there was an acting dean (Lucille Joel) and on 9/1/09, William Holzemer
became Dean.
Facilities
1. March 2009, a new building was dedicated on the New Brunswick campus.
2. August, 2010, all faculty on the Newark campus were moved into Ackerson Hall, after a summer
remodeling.
The CCNE Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Programs, Amended April
2009, were used for this self-study.
Resource Materials
A traditional resource reference library has been prepared for the site visitors where copies of all relevant
documents are available for review as print copies. In addition, there are web links built into this
document that are active when reading this document at Rutgers on a computer that is linked to our web
site. So, the reader can be reading a section and click on this web link and immediately see the relevant
document. The supporting documents that are hyperlinked to the text of the Self-Study Report are also
listed as Appendix A organized by Standards I, II, III, and IV and is attached.
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STANDARD I: PROGRAM QUALITY: MISSION AND GOVERNANCE
The mission, goals, and expected aggregate student and faculty outcomes are congruent with those of the parent institution, reflect professional nursing standards and guidelines, and consider the needs and expectations of the community of interest. Policies of the parent institution and nursing program clearly support the program’s mission, goals, and expected outcomes. The faculty and students of the program are involved in the governance of the program and in the ongoing efforts to improve program quality.
I-A. The mission, goals and expected student outcomes are congruent with those of the parent institution
and consistent with relevant professional nursing standards and guidelines for the preparation of nursing
professionals.
Mission: As the sole comprehensive public research university in the state’s system of higher education,
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has the threefold mission of: providing for the instructional
needs of New Jersey’s citizens through its undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs;
conducting the cutting-edge research that contributes to the medical, environmental, social and cultural
well-being of the state, as well as aiding the economy and the state’s businesses and industries; and
performing public service in support of the needs of the citizens of the state and its local, county, and
state governments. Each component of the university’s mission reinforces and supports the other two.
For example, research creates the new knowledge so necessary to support quality instruction and
innovative public service.
Mission-Vision Statement for Rutgers University, Newark. Rutgers University in Newark has a long
and proud tradition of providing a first-rate education to students of modest means, to first-generation
college attendees, and to students of diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Our diverse
student bodies, relatively small classes, the educational opportunities of Newark and nearby New York
City, and the university’s tradition of academic excellence have attracted a growing student body, which
has increased by 1500 students in less than a decade. Once a strictly commuter institution, over twelve
hundred students now live on campus, and building additional student residences is one of our highest
priorities. Our faculty holds undergraduate students to rigorous standards, and offers them numerous
opportunities to undertake original research. As the Rutgers-Newark enrollments grow, we will continue to
insure that we remain accessible to large numbers of first-generation college students.
The College of Nursing’s main campus is situated in the City of Newark New Jersey. The College of
Nursing’s second campus is located in the city of New Brunswick which is 27 miles from the Newark
campus. A total of 67% of the 21 counties in New Jersey have been designated a health professional
shortage area. Therefore, due to our campus locations our students are provided a wide range of clinical
sites and a wealth of experiences that reflect the diversity of patient populations, varied socio-economic
groups and health care settings. The clinical sites include but are not limited to teaching and community
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hospitals, elementary schools, community based clinics, and home care agencies. (Graduate clinical site
contracts, Undergraduate clinical site contracts). Rutgers University has a third campus in Camden, NJ,
which has a nursing program that is housed in a Department in the School of Arts & Sciences. There are
plans to expand the Camden nursing program into a separate School of Nursing. At this time, Rutgers
College of Nursing-Newark & New Brunswick has no authority or relationship with the Camden program.
The College of Nursing offers several entry programs to the Baccalaureate degree, including generic
program, upper division transfer program, RN to BS program (on-line), and Accelerated 14 month
program for students with a baccalaureate degree in another field. The goal for the College of Nursing is
to graduate 100 new BS graduates each year, 50 from the Newark campus and 50 from the New
Brunswick campus.
At the Master’s degree program level, the College offers specialization in the following nine areas: Acute
Care Nurse Practitioner; Adult/Aged Nurse Practitioner; Geriatric Nurse Practitioner; Family Nurse
Practitioner; Pediatric Nurse Practitioner; Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner; Psychiatric/Mental Health
Advanced Practice Nurse; Community Health Advanced Practice Nurse; and a new area beginning Fall,
2011, Nurse Leadership Advanced Practice Nurse.
The College also houses a Center for Continuous Education, accredited by the American Nurses
Credentialing Center, to offer continuing education credits. The College houses the New Jersey
Collaborating Center for Nursing, a research think-tank supported by a public/private partnership between
the State of New Jersey and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to conduct studies on workforce
supply and demand.
After a one-day retreat in the fall, 2009, with the arrival of a new Dean, the College of Nursing faculty
reviewed the vision and mission statement of the College of Nursing. Faculty approved this vision and
mission statement after discussion and debate.
College of Nursing Vision: The Rutgers College of Nursing will continue to be known for the quality of
its faculty, students, and alumni and its research, service and educational programs that contribute to
improving the health and well-being of diverse populations and enhancing patient safety and quality
across all health care settings.
College of Nursing Mission: To educate students, advance the discipline of nursing through research
and scholarship, provide service responsive to the health care needs of multicultural populations, and
demonstrate local, national and international leadership in informing health care outcomes. In addition,
the faculty approved several strategic goals for each area of the mission:
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Education:
• Enhance Rutgers College of Nursing’s reputation as a leader in best educational practices.
• Create a learning environment responsive to the changing educational and socio-political trends.
• Integrate innovative teaching and learning strategies that promote learning responsive to the
needs of diverse populations and health care settings.
• Integrate ethical principles that ensure the rights and privileges of all humans to health care that
is sensitive to preserving the human dignity of all persons. Research:
• Provide excellence in research and scholarship that contributes to the health and well being of
diverse populations.
• Foster research initiatives that generate, test, and refine disciplinary knowledge and inform health
policy at the local, national, and global level.
• Design interventions that reduce disparities, enhance patient safety and quality outcomes,
promote health and comfort and reduce suffering.
• Articulate areas of research concentration that reflect faculty expertise and scholarship and
contribute to advancing the national health agenda.
Service:
• Develop collaborative partnerships with New Jersey communities and beyond to enhance and
enrich educational opportunities for students with a variety of practice settings
• Foster collaborative research opportunities for students and faculty to contribute to improving cost
effective, high quality, patient centric health care outcomes for all.
• Partner with health care settings to design educational and research experiences that enrich the
environment of care and foster curriculum innovation.
• Provide leadership at the local, national, and global levels that ensures the public has access to
quality nursing care.
This revised vision and mission will be available on our revised web site shortly. Currently, at the time of
this writing, a previous version of the College of Nursing’s vision and mission is on the web site
(www.nursing.rutgers.edu). We are in the final stages of launching a new web site and therefore we have
not invested in the upkeep of the current web-site except for important student related information.
The College of Nursing’s mission and goals are congruent with the University’s mission and goals.
Expected outcomes for the baccalaureate and master’s degree programs are noted in Table 1, a cross-
walk among Mission Statements, Baccalaureate & Master’s Program expected student outcomes. These
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expected outcomes are consistent with the mission of Rutgers University.
Table 1. Congruence of University and College of Nursing Mission
University Mission College of Nursing Mission
Provide a first-rate education to students of modest means, to first-generation college attendees, and to students of diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds
Create a learning environment responsive to the changing educational and socio-political trends. Integrate innovative teaching and learning strategies that promote learning responsive to the needs of diverse populations and health care settings.
Engagement with Newark and surrounding communities through teaching, research, public service, and experiential learning
Develop collaborative partnerships with New Jersey communities and beyond to enhance and enrich educational opportunities for students with a variety of practice settings Foster collaborative research opportunities for students and faculty to contribute to improving cost effective, high quality, patient centric health care outcomes for all. Partner with health care settings to design educational and research experiences that enrich the environment of care and foster curriculum innovation. Provide leadership at the local, national, and global levels that ensures the public has access to quality nursing care.
Professional education and training for future business, legal, healthcare and civic leaders.
Enhance Rutgers College of Nursing’s reputation as a leader in best educational practices. Integrate ethical principles that ensure the rights and privileges of all humans to health care that is sensitive to preserving the human dignity of all persons.
Critical research in the sciences, the arts, humanities and social sciences, and in the professions of business, criminal justice, law, nursing, and public administration.
Provide excellence in research and scholarship that contributes to the health and well being of diverse populations. Foster research initiatives that generate, test, and refine disciplinary knowledge and inform health policy at the local, national, and global level. Design interventions that reduce disparities, enhance patient safety and quality outcomes, promote health and comfort and reduce suffering. Articulate areas of research concentration that reflect faculty expertise and scholarship and contribute to advancing the national health agenda.
Table 2 illustrates how baccalaureate and master’s program student outcomes are congruent with the
university mission.
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Table 2. Cross-walk Rutgers University mission statements with the expected program student level
outcomes.
Missions Baccalaureate Program Expected Student Outcomes
Master’s Program Expected Student Outcomes
Teaching/
Learning
1) Synthesize theories and concepts from the liberal arts and sciences as the basis for professional nursing practice. 2) Communicate effectively in a variety of written, verbal, and emerging technologies with clients, peers, and health care professionals. 6) Integrate knowledge of health care policy, finance and regulatory environments in the care of diverse populations. 7) Use clinical reasoning and decision making skills to provide safe quality care. 8) Values the ideal of life–long learning.
1) Integrate knowledge from nursing and related disciplines as the basis for advanced nursing practice with diverse populations. 2) Manage independently and collaboratively, the health care problems of clients in a variety of settings. 3) Apply ethical analyses and clinical reasoning in advanced nursing care to diverse populations.
11) Use theories from organizational sciences to optimize health system functioning. 12) Pursue doctoral study.
Research/
Evidence-Based Practice
3) Analyze and utilize health data, research findings and information technology for evidenced based nursing practice.
4) Use research findings to provide high quality health care, initiate change, and improve advanced nursing practice. 5) Design and provide quality, safe, cost-effective care for clinical or community based populations and the health care system. 8) Synthesize knowledge from information sciences, health communication and literacy to provide advance practice care to culturally diverse populations. 9) Evaluate the standards of practice and consensus or evidence-based practice guidelines applicable to a particular population or area of practice.
Service 4) Engage in ethical reasoning and actions to promote advocacy, collaboration and social justice. 5) Provide culturally sensitive nursing care in health promotion, risk reduction and disease prevention.
6) Provide culturally competent care. 7) Participate in regulatory, legislative, and professional policy to promote healthy communities. 10) Employ educational strategies (using instructional theories/research) with clients, families, staff members, and others.
Rutgers College of Nursing utilizes all of the relevant professional nursing standards and guidelines in the
development, implementation, and evaluation of the BS and MS programs. Copies of these documents
are available for faculty and students on the web and on the CCNE designate computer drive (P) under
Standard I-2 (Graduate_&_Undergraduate_Nursing_Standards). Appropriate professional nursing
standards and guidelines, including the AACN Essentials for Baccalaureate and for Master’s education,
are referenced in all course syllabi. Standard III delineates how these documents were utilized in guiding
both the baccalaureate and master’s curriculum.
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I-B. The mission, goals, and expected student outcomes are reviewed periodically and revised, as
appropriate, to reflect: professional nursing standards and guidelines; and the needs and expectations of
the community of interest.
The College of Nursing’s Plan for Program Evaluation outlines how we as a community periodically
review all components of the College. As identified in the current College of Nursing evaluation plan, the
mission, goals and program outcomes are reviewed periodically and revised as deemed appropriate. A
regular review process is articulated in the Faculty Committee Bylaws where faculty committees are
outlined and responsibilities articulated. Copies of the By-Laws (old and new) are on the web site
(Faculty Bylaws 2010; Faculty Bylaws 2005).
The College instituted a new faculty role titled Specialty Director for MS specialties and an expanded the
role for the Undergraduate Course Coordinators is being explored. These individuals along with the
faculty have direct responsibility to review on a regular basis mission, goals, expected student outcomes,
as well as professional nursing standards and guidelines relevant to their respective area. We are
optimistic that this new mechanism will ensure regular review and input of new guidelines into our
curriculum.
Student evaluations of faculty teaching and student progression are reviewed by both the Academic
Affairs Committee and the MS Committee regularly. During 2009-2010 year, the Dean held meetings with
students in each program to obtain feedback relative to expected student outcomes. As part of the self-
study process during the 2009-2010 academic year, faculty used the AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate
Education for Professional Nursing Practice and the Essentials of Master’s Education for Advanced
Practice Nursing to ensure alignment with expected student outcomes for both programs.
Rutgers College of Nursing defines our communities as including faculty (full-time, part-time, clinical,
tenure-track, part-time lecturers (PTLs), and preceptors), learners (undergraduate, graduate, continuing
education, and students in certificate programs, such as school nurse), alumni, and staff at all levels.
Next we think about our many clinical agencies with which we rely on to be able to conduct our clinical
training and often our research across the state, nation, and internationally. We also have a strong
commitment to the communities where we live and work in Newark and New Brunswick.
Within this broad context of communities of interest, we have regular processes in place to work with
faculty to review mission, goals, program goals, course objectives, and learner outcomes through faculty
meetings with Course Leaders and Specialty Coordinators through the faculty committee structure. Our
faculty and administration are actively involved in leadership roles in the Academic Senate and
administrative councils where we provide dialogue related to our programmatic agendas. We are working
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to strengthen significantly our relationships with clinical agencies and community leadership.
Several faculty and the Dean recently visited a community agency to explore the potential of collaboration
through the creation of an urban health center. The College goal for the Urban Health Center is threefold:
1) opportunities for student service learning; 2) opportunities for faculty practice and advanced practice
student training; and 3) open environment for research possibilities. Faculty discussed the site and
encouraged the Dean to move forward with exploring the potential of a formal relationship with this
community agency in Newark.
We are also planning to appoint this year a Board of Overseers that will include community leaders,
business leaders, professionals, and political leaders to advise and provide support for the College of
Nursing. The community of interest has been provided the opportunity to submit third-party comments to
CCNE via the college’s website.
I-C Expected faculty outcomes in teaching, scholarship, service, and practice are congruent with the
mission, goals, and expected student outcomes.
To accomplish the mission, goals, and expected student outcomes of our academic programs, faculty are
appointed to either a tenure track series or a clinical track series. These two tracks have different
expectations.
Tenure Track Series. Faculty who teach in the tenure track series have an expectation that they will
develop a focused program of research that has been extramurally funded, published, and disseminated
and demonstrate excellence in teaching and a commitment to community service. If tenure-track faculty
are appointed to teach in an Advanced Practice Specialty area, they are expected to maintain their
national certification through achieving sufficient practice hours.
Clinical Track Series. Faculty who teach in the clinical track series have an expectation that they will
develop a focused program of clinical scholarship that has received funding and been disseminated and
that they demonstrate excellence in teaching, innovative use of teaching technology, and a strong
commitment to community practice. Faculty appointed in the clinical series are required to maintain their
specialty certifications through faculty practice opportunities.
Faculty outcomes for both tracks are provided to faculty upon hire by the Associate Dean for Faculty and
Staff. Faculty may meet with any member of the First Level Review Committee for further consult and
guidance. Our faculty outcomes are articulated in our guidelines for merit and appointments,
reappointments and promotion that are available via the Rutgers University Faculty Handbook.
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The faculty of the College of Nursing developed a faculty work load policy statement that is currently
under review by the administration that differentiates teaching credit hours by type of clinical vs. tenure-
track series and rank. This document will be under review and discussion by faculty and administration
during the 2010-2011 academic year for possible revision and formal approval by both faculty and
administration. We have developed a more comprehensive Faculty Workload Document that is circulated
to all faculty and updated on a regular basis so that all faculty have a sense of everyone’s work
responsibilities and obligations.
Faculty prepare their curriculum vitae and it is divided into the themes of teaching, research, and service
so that they present their work within the context of both the University and College mission statements.
Faculty outcomes in teaching are linked to student outcomes through our extensive evaluation activities
that are described in detail in Standard III and Standard IV. Student evaluations of faculty teaching
excellence is one criteria used by the College for faculty appointment, reappointment, merits, and
promotions.
I-D Faculty and students participate in program governance.
Faculty Bylaws have been revised and approved by the full faculty at the last faculty meeting in 2010. The
Bylaws now outline the faculty committee structure and articulates that students are members of all of
these committees except for the First Level Review (merits and promotions).
Student involvement in the College of Nursing is facilitated formally and informally. The College of
Nursing Senate, which includes class officers of each undergraduate class, constitutes the official liaison
for student appointments to College of Nursing standing committees. Annually the standing committee
slate is presented to the student senate president and the senate appoints the representatives.
Appointed student representatives have full voice but do not vote. We have had consistent student
representation on the Academic Affairs, Student Life Committee, and PhD Committee. There has been
limited participation on other committees. It is difficult to get students from the two campuses with
different schedules to become involved in committee meetings during the day on the Newark campus.
This is especially difficult for master’s students who work during the day. During 2009-2010, the Dean met
with the leadership of the Student Senate for an open discussion about issues and concerns.
Until recently, graduate faculty as a unit of the graduate school Newark operated in accordance with the
policies and standards of graduate education and faculty members serve as appointed representatives on
that school’s committees.
Beginning 2010-2011, only the PhD program will be housed in the Graduate School Newark. Faculty
members are nominated for graduate faculty status in the Graduate School Newark by the Associate
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Dean of Graduate Education.
The Dean of the College chairs faculty meetings so there is no one identified among the faculty as the
“leader” of the faculty. We have started discussions to consider electing a faculty chairperson but at this
point, faculty are content to have the Dean chair faculty meetings.
The Dean has the prerogative to call ad hoc faculty committee meetings and last year scheduled one
meeting of the chairs of all of the faculty committees to talk about the work of the College and issues at
hand. This Faculty Chairs Advisory to the Dean Committee (Administrative Committee) will be called
together in the future on a regular basis. When appropriate, we will invite the student leadership
representatives to attend this meeting.
I-E Documents and publications are accurate. References to the programs offerings, outcomes,
accreditation/approval status, academic calendar, recruitment and admission policies, transfer of credit
policies, grading policies, degree completion requirements, tuition, and fees are accurate.
There are several sources of documents that provide information on program offerings, outcomes etc. In
the process of being implemented University-wide is a College of Nursing catalogue that will provide most
if not all of the information that students require. Information will include procedures for admission,
transfer of credit policies, grading policies at the University level, degree requirements at the University
and College of Nursing, as well as tuition and fees.
The College of Nursing documents that include student information are being moved to the new College
of Nursing catalogue. We are also working with our new web site to ensure the accuracy of all program
information, procedures for applications that are unique to nursing, non-matriculated programs in nursing
such as our school nurse program, and other areas. Our College of Nursing web site has a Log-In
feature where information that is just for our matriculated students can be placed. We use this procedure
for information such as scheduling and clinical placements. The Faculty Handbook is on this web.
We are burdened with the fact that our generic undergraduate program admits approximately 40 total
students per year (20 in Newark and 20 in New Brunswick) as freshman and we have over 1500 qualified
applicants- all asking specific questions of our Office of Student Services (formerly named Office of
Student Affairs). We are developing FAQ sections for our new web site and we have some on the current
web site, but many times applicants and parents want to talk with a person. We are now in the process of
reviewing the activities of the Office of Student Services (formerly Student Affairs) to assess its
effectiveness and are in preparation of hiring a Director.
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The Office of Student Services is responsible to ensure that all students’ immunizations, drug screens,
and background checks have been completed and accurate documentation is on file before students are
cleared for placement in a clinical setting. The Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Affairs is responsible
to keep copies of all current licenses and certifications for employed faculty.
I-F Academic policies of the parent institution and the nursing program are congruent. These policies
support achievement of the mission, goals, and expected student outcomes. These policies are fair,
equitable, and published and are reviewed and revised as necessary to foster program improvement.
These policies include, but are not limited to, those related to student recruitment, admission, retention,
and progression.
Student related policies are available on-line through the College of Nursing catalogue. To access this
information requires that a student be registered and have a NetID and Password. Under the section
Undergraduates-Faculty, the student finds a listing of policies that includes: academic advising,
academic standing, clinical requirements, declaring minors and second majors, independent study,
nursing learning resource centers, prerequisites for upper division nursing courses, transferring courses,
graduate grievance policy, and academic forms.
The Faculty Handbook for the College of Nursing and the on-line catalogue are all in alignment with
University policies and procedures. We ensure this alignment through participation on University
committees related to admission, financial aid, and all student services, as well as regular email
coomunications to the College from the University on policy updates.
I-G There are established policies by which the nursing unit defines and reviews formal complaints.
There are three main types of complaints that occur in our work setting and these can be classified as
Student, Faculty, and Staff.
Student Complaints: The College of Nursing follows exactly the University guidelines for student
complaints about a faculty member or reports of cheating among other students. These procedures are
published and available for all to read. The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education is the College
of Nursing’s representative on the campus-level body that developed, approved, and enforces these
guidelines. We have guidelines regarding academic failure, cheating, and plagiarism. We have
guidelines on when a student may be withheld from progressing in the curriculum or dismissed from the
program, and/or dismissed from the University.
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Faculty Complaints: The College of Nursing faculty are unionized and have a contract that outlines the
procedures available for filing complaints and grievances.
Staff Complaints: The College of Nursing staffs are unionized and have a contract that clearly outlines the
procedures available for filing complaints and grievances. We work closely with the Newark campus
Human Resources department to manage all issues related to staff complaints and performance issues.
We also follow Union guidelines related to potential furlough and termination of staff.
Other types of complaints: We sometimes receive other types of complaints possibly from a collaborating
clinical agency regarding a student or faculty member. Those complaints would follow the procedures
outlined above. We also have clear guidelines for managing complaints from research subjects through
Protection of Human Subjects and patients where we follow HIPAA guidelines. These cases are usually
classified as a student, faculty, or staff complaint and the procedures outlined above are followed.
In summary, the mission, goals and expected aggregate student and faculty outcomes are aligned with
the parent institution and synchronous with professional nursing standards and guidelines.
Strengths
• The faculty are actively involved in the governance of the College of Nursing.
• The faculty are actively involved in the ongoing evaluation of the academic programs, setting the
research agenda, and selecting community sites for students and faculty projects.
• Faculty are aware of the expectations for appointment and promotion in both the tenure and
clinical tracks.
Areas/plans for improvement
• Greater attention to encouraging students to participate in College activities.
• Documents on the web need to be updated on a more regular basis.
• Increased mentorship is planned for tenure-track faculty to increase the probability of their
success in developing a focused, program of research that is extramurally funded and widely
disseminated.
• Develop mechanisms for increase input of external community members.
• Strengthen the participation of students on College Committees. Develop strategies to better
meet the information needs of prospective students. Review the services of the Office of Student
Services (formerly Student Affairs).
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Standard II: Program Quality: Institutional Commitment and Resources.
Program Quality: Institutional Commitment and Resources: The parent institution demonstrates ongoing commitment and support for the nursing program. The institution makes available resources to enable the program to achieve its mission, goals, and expected aggregate student and faculty outcomes. The faculty, as a resource of the program, enables the achievement of the mission, goals, and expected aggregate student outcomes. II-A Fiscal and physical resources are sufficient to enable the program to fulfill its mission, goals, and expected outcomes. Adequacy of resources is reviewed periodically and resources are modified as needs.
A statement of income and expenses for the Rutgers College of Nursing for the past three years, including 2007-
8, 2008-09, and 2009-10 is presented in Table 3. The projected budget for AY 2010 – 2011 has been developed
and is available for review. Our operating budget has been relatively stable during these three years, even given
the annual State of New Jersey budget cuts to the University. We have been able to make up the loss in State
funding by modestly increasing enrollment and extramural grant support.
Table 3. Income and expenses for FY 2007-08, FY2008-09, and FY 2009-10.
FY 2007-2008 FY 2008-2009 FY 2009-2010
INCOME
State of New Jersey 1,754,559 (16.94%) 1,746,598 (15.86%) 1,619,453 (15.02%)
Tuition 2,869,289 (27.71%) 2,825,140 (25.65%) 2,821,575 (22.43%)
Grants and Contracts 4,256,784 (41.11%) 5,033,529 (45.71%) 5,033,529 (49.36%)
Other State Contracts 825,645 (7.97%) 778,490 (7.07%) 714,398 (7.01%)
Center for Professional Development 648,900 (6.27%) 629,092 (5.64%) 630,000 (6.18%)
Totals 10,355,177 (100%) 11,012,849 (100%) 10,818,955 (100%)
EXPENDITURES
Salaries 4,765,049 (46.02%) 4,757,045 (43.20%) 4,425,389 (40.90%)
General Operating Expenses 1,547,450 (14.94%) 1,904,744 (17.30%) 1,825,271 (16.87%)
Grants & Contracts (project work) 1,689,570 (16.32%) 2,147,850 (19.50%) 2,413,664 (22.31%)
Student Support
(not including endowed scholarships)
295,875 (2.86%) 222,854 (2.02%) 182,458 (1.69%)
NJ Collaborating Center for Nursing 200,000 (1.93%) 210,000 (1.91%) 210,000 (1.94%)
Center for Professional Development 635.298 (6.14%) 629,092 (5.71%) 630,000 (5.82%)
Educational Opportunity Fund 596,452 (5.76%) 568,498 (5.16%) 504,398 (4.66%)
Totals 10,355,177 (100%) 11,012,840 (100%) 10,818,955 (100%)
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Rutgers University calculates our operating budget under the rubric of “all funds budgeting” that remains
mysterious to everyone. The University calculates our operating budget based upon the income from
undergraduate and graduate tuition from the previous year and a State allocation from the current year. Data for
that past six years is presented in Table 4. Each unit within Rutgers keeps approximately 55% of their tuition
generated and 45% of indirect costs generated from contracts and grants.
Table 4. Budget components (tuition & state allocation), totals, & reductions to state funding for six years.
Year 7/1-6/30
Under- graduate
Graduate State Total Budget
Reduction to CON
2005-2006 2,107,788 636,108 2,243,604 4,987,500 203,887
2006-2007 2,115,574 621,752 1,923,707 4,661,033 326,467
2007-2008 2,267,102 602,187 1,754,559 4,623,848 37,185
2008-2009 2,246,925 578,215 1,746,598 4,571,738 52,110
2009-2010 2,235,900 585,675 1,619,453 4,441,028 130,710
2010-2011 n/a n/a n/a 4,237,218 203.810
Budget Reduction from State Allocation over past six years: 954,169
Technically, a reduction in our budget is considered a cut from the State allocation component of the “all funds
budgeting.” However, the budget reduction is actually calculated based upon a percentage of the total budget.
We must present to the Chancellor of Rutgers- Newark a document that explains how the cuts will affect State
faculty and staff lines and provide a rationale for how we will cope with this loss of State funding, i.e. reduction of
a faculty position. This methodology has discouraged some administrative units on campus because if they admit
more students and thus raise tuition income, their respective total budget may be reduced. We believe the
College of Nursing has been fairly treated in this process, although all of the funds are not transparent within the
University so one can never be completely confident in this assessment.
Our only real strategy to rebuild the reduction in State fund allocation is through entrepreneurial activities. We are
working to increase our successful contracts and grant applications and to build faculty practice opportunities to
cover some faculty salary. We also have an active development program to secure private and foundation gifts.
The College of Nursing has a budget reserve of 20% of its annual operating budget.
Rutgers University, as well as the College of Nursing, strives to maintain competitive faculty salaries.
Salaries at the College of Nursing are summarized in Table 5, and reflect a 2.5% faculty salary increase
awarded across the board in January, 2010. Each year the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing,
Rutgers College of Nursing (NJCCN), surveys all schools of nursing in the State as part of an educational
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capacity analysis. Statewide non-tenured faculty salary data, 2009, of schools of nursing offering a BS or
higher degree are provided by NJCCN and included in Table 5 for comparison purposes.
Table 5. Academic year (10 months) salaries in the College of Nursing (does not include administrators)
Mean Range N Tenure-Track Rutgers
University Data*
Salary Wizard**
Statewide***
Professor (with tenure)
127,355 109,200-140,760 5 68,441
Associate Professor (with tenure)
105,266 85,266-117,159 6 54,160 USA Mean
67,717
Assistant Professor (tenure-track)
84,150 79,323-86,000 9 44,830 77,500*** (3,535)
Clinical Series Clinical Professor 108,000 n/a 1 n/a Associate Clinical
Professor 87,118 84,769-88,558 3 n/a 74,333***
(11,015) Assistant Clinical
Professor 82,126 70,987-87,518 4 n/a 71,666***
(10,408) Instructors 60,795 54,918-74,249 7 39,058 66,666***
(7,637) *Rutgers University Data http://uhr.rutgers.edu/comp/AAUPFacultyMinimumSalSched.htm **Salary Wizard http://swz.salary.com; ***New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing.
As indicated by Table 5, salaries at Rutgers College of Nursing, on average, exceed those of similar ranks in
other schools in the State, with the exception of the rank of Instructor. Salaries at the College have had no
negative impact on faculty recruitment as evidenced by the unprecedented number of 10 new faculty members
who join the Rutgers team in fall, 2010. All 10 of the new faculty have been hired at the rank of Assistant or
Associate Clinical Professor or above.
Physical Resources: Rutgers College of Nursing The College of Nursing Newark occupies all of Ackerson
Hall which is a 30,000-square foot four-floor building that provides seminar rooms, a computer laboratory,
a psychomotor skills laboratory, and faculty and staff offices, and research facilities for its faculty and
students. The College received an $800,000 grant to remodel this facility; renovation of the second and
third floors, which include faculty offices, seminar rooms, and computer laboratory are almost complete,
while renovation of the first floor and lower level are underway. The College of Nursing’s Office of
Contracts and Grants, Office of Research and Evaluation, Professional Development program, State-
funded Work Force Center, and the Nursing Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program are housed in
the renovated Ackerson Hall space.
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The Rutgers College of Nursing New Brunswick has a new 18,000-square-foot building opened in 2009 to
better serve its nursing students in New Brunswick. The building provides modern classrooms, faculty
offices, a lecture hall, an expanded clinical learning laboratory and examination rooms. The building
features the capacity for technologically advanced practice laboratories that will better prepare
baccalaureate and graduate nursing students for careers in hospitals, nursing homes, home care and
community health care settings. The College of Nursing’s Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
has an office in the New Brunswick building. To best serve the students of both campuses the Associate
Dean divides her time between the two locations, spending three days per week in her office in the New
Brunswick building and two days per week in her office in Ackerson Hall, Newark. She is supported by a
full time administrative assistant who is permanently housed in the New Brunswick building.
The New Brunswick Nursing Building is strategically located adjacent to the Rutgers Institute of Health,
Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, in part, to encourage collaboration between College of Nursing
faculty/students and Institute faculty/students. Toward that end, the College of Nursing’s Associate Dean
for Graduate Education is engaged with Institute researchers on two studies; one for which she is the
Principal Investigator and one for which an Institute faculty member is P.I. Consequently, she also
maintains an office in the New Brunswick building and is present there approximately one day per week.
The space and infrastructure are available on both campuses for a comprehensive approach to student
learning. The learning resource centers on both campuses are staffed by a team of nurses including a
Masters prepared Learning Lab Coordinator who manages the two campus learning resource centers,
one part-time Assistant Learning Lab Instructor on the Newark campus and four teaching fellows that
teach small group laboratory/remediation sessions and work directly with course instructors to ensure
learning is applicable and timely. The teaching fellows are students matriculated in one of our graduate
programs (Masters and DNP). Additionally, The College of Nursing employs a 50% Simulation
Coordinator who coordinates activities and functions of the simulation program to ensure that the goals
and objectives specified for the College of Nursing are accomplished in accordance with established
priorities, time limitations, and funding limitations. The Simulation Coordinator supports the general
operations of the simulation centers and/or operates simulation and associated equipment, computers,
audio-visual equipment used in simulation, scheduling, scenario developments, etc.
Each faculty and staff member is provided with a private office, telephone, computer, access to internet, access
to printer-fax-photocopy, Microsoft™ office, desk, new ergonomic chair, filing cabinets, and book cases. New
part-time faculty attend new faculty orientation in the fall along with the full-time faculty. Part-time faculty have
access to student support services like other faculty through making contact with the Office of Student Services or
through the Associate Deans for each program.
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Rutgers’ Facilities. Physical resources provided by the College of Nursing are outlined above and key
resources provided by the University are outlined in II-B. Other key physical facilities provided by the
University on each campus include a state-of-the art sports and fitness complex , a variety of dining and
on-campus housing options, student health centers, campus police workforce and stations , assigned
student parking areas, a federal credit union, student centers that house meeting and seminar rooms,
computer labs, and a variety of scientific laboratories. The arts on the New Brunswick campus are
supported by the Brodsky Center for Innovation Editions, Institute for Women and Art, the Voorhees
Zimmerli Art Museum, and theater at the Mason School of the Arts. The Newark campus houses the Paul
Robinson Galleries and the Rutgers-NJIT Theatre Arts Program and stage.
II-B Academic support services are sufficient to ensure quality and are evaluated on a regular basis to
meet program and student needs
Rutgers University is one of only 62 universities nationwide invited to join the prestigious Association of
American Universities, comprised of the nation’s top research universities. As a “research-intensive”
university, the academic support services for students and faculty at Rutgers University and Rutgers
College of Nursing (RCN) are superb. In addition to 180 specialized research centers, both campuses
(Newark and New Brunswick) are located close to major medical centers, facilitating practice and
research collaborations among students, faculty, and community-based care providers. Highlights of
selected student and faculty support services are described below:
Campus Services for Students and Faculty
Libraries (http://www.rutgers.edu/academics/libraries) The Rutgers University Library System consists of
26 libraries and houses a collection of over 10.5 million holdings. Recognized as one of the nation’s top
academic library system, The American Library Association ranks Rutgers University Library System as
the 44th largest library in the U.S. Among the library resources most often used by RCN faculty and
students are Rutgers Library of Science and Medicine (New Brunswick) and Dana Library (Newark).
Regardless of location, however, all library indexes, databases, electronic reserves, electronic journals,
and other full-text resources can be accessed online from remote locations. Additionally, all print material
not electronically available can be ordered online and delivered by the University to the Rutgers’ library
location of choice. Moreover, Rutgers is a member of the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc
giving students and faculty access to the holdings of over 30 additional universities. Among the
University’s librarians, there are three “subject specialists” in nursing who are dedicated to working with
nursing students and faculty. The specialized nursing librarians assist students and faculty with literature
searches, as well as conduct lectures, class-related instruction, and orientation sessions on search
techniques, use of Ref Works, and other topics of interest. Library holdings for nursing include
subscriptions to 94 print journals, 195 electronic journal titles, 700 books in nursing in the Library of
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Science of Medicine in New Brunswick, 2,300 books in nursing in Dana Library in Newark, a total of 43
video recordings, and 4 index databases (CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo, Health & Psychosocial Index).
Office of Information Technology (http://oit.rutgers.edu/index.html). The Office of Information Technology
(OIT) provides computer hardware and software support for students, classrooms, and faculty offices on
all campuses. They work collaboratively with the Office of Academic Technology to ensure that students
and faculty receive educational sessions and technical support, as needed, related to the use of
Blackboard, eCollege, and other online educational platforms. Other services include maintenance of
university computers, software recommendations and instillation, and creation of email accounts.
Campus Support Services for Students
College of Nursing’s Office of Student Services. The staff of RCN’s Office of Student Services schedules
and provides undergraduate and graduate student orientations, assists students with registration,
monitors receipt of students’ mandatory documents and verifications such as malpractice insurance, RN
licenses for graduate students, completion of criminal background checks, posting on the website the list
of students assigned to each academic advisor, and monitoring of health clearances.
College of Nursing’s Learning Resource Center: A Learning Resource Center is available for
undergraduate and graduate lab-based classes led by faculty. There are separate rooms for student
practice/remediation sessions. Within each Center at each of the two campuses is a simulation laboratory
in which undergraduate and graduate students can practice clinical skills and respond to pre-programmed
clinical scenarios with high fidelity patient simulators. Simulation exam rooms are available for NP student
education. The Center is staffed by an expert RN clinician available to assist students and faculty.
The University Learning Center (http://lrc.rutgers.edu/) In addition to services offered by the College of
Nursing, a Rutgers University Learning Center is located on both campuses. Although the University
Learning Center is created primarily for undergraduate students, graduate students can also take
advantage of the tutoring, supplemental instruction, and workshops that are offered to support students’
academic success.
The University Writing Center (http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~nwc/) on both campuses offers writing
tutoring and workshops for undergraduate and graduate students.
Clinical Resources: The College of Nursing collaborates with 260 clinical sites, such as hospitals and
community-based agencies to provide clinical educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate
students (Undergraduate clinical site list, graduate clinical site list).
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Evaluation of Student Support Services: Each year exit surveys are conducted with all graduating
undergraduate and graduate students, in which the student is asked to rate, on a Likert-type scale, their
satisfaction with the support services offered at Rutgers. Aggregated survey results for the last three
academic years indicate that undergraduate students rate satisfaction with support services, overall,
between a 3.0 and 3.5 on a 4-point scale. The highest rated services include computer services and
support, admissions / registration (student services), and the EOF program. Among graduate students,
satisfaction with supportive services is high, rated 4.0 on a 5-point scale for each of the last three
academic years (Standard IV Charts). An example of a recent program improvement initiative derived
from the evaluation data is focused on graduate student advisement. Exit surveys from master’s program
students indicate that some students reported confusion regarding the name and location of their
academic faculty advisor. Based on this feedback, the Associate Dean of Graduate Education and
Student Services staff are working closely together to prepare and post the advisement list, making sure
that students are assigned faculty advisors who teach in the student’s specialty area, and that both
student and faculty are fully aware of the advisement assignments. Each faculty will now be sent a
customized list consisting only of their assigned advisees and the advisees’ contact information.
Campus Support Services for Faculty
University Office of Academic Technology (OAT). (http://oat.newark.rutgers.edu/index.html). The Office of
Academic Technology (OAT) conducts private consultation or group seminars for faculty in the use of
online educational technology such as Blackboard, video conferencing, and the use of Smart
Classrooms. Importantly, OAT staff consults with faculty on online instructional design. Faculty developing
online courses or teaching online for the first time find these services invaluable.
College of Nursing’s Faculty Secretary: Provides clerical support to faculty including but not limited to
formatting and typing of student examinations, copying of course-related materials, and formatting and
typing of Curriculum Vitae.
College of Nursing’s Office of Grants and Contract Management. The Office of Grants and Contract
Management, located In the Newark College of Nursing Building, provides expert consultation and
support to faculty related to pre-award activities such as: 1) identification of research / project funding
sources; 2) budget development; 3) coordination with Rutgers Newark Pre-Award Office; 4) sub-contract
development; and 5) electronic submission. Support with post-award activities includes monitoring of
expenses, assistance in preparation of budget and project narrative reports, and management of
subcontracts.
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University Research Office-Newark (http://researchoffice.newark.rutgers.edu). Coordinates with the
College of Nursing’s Office of Grants and Contract Management to provide expert pre-award services
such as budget preparation, subcontract negotiation and preparation, and electronic submission.
Newark Grants Office (http://ngo.newark.rutgers.edu): Coordinates with the College of Nursing’s Office of
Grants and Contract Management on post award activities. Creates and monitors grant accounts and
submits all required reports to funding organizations. Collects all required documents for file in
compliance with internal and external audits.
The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Act of New Jersey became law in 1968. The purpose of the
EOF program is to provide opportunity for New Jersey students from disadvantaged backgrounds to
participate in the state’s higher education program. In over 40 years of existence, the New Jersey
Educational Opportunity Fund has been the single most important conduit for low income, first generation
and educationally disadvantaged students to earn a college degree.
(http://nursing.rutgers.edu/current_students/eof)
In its commitment to excellence, the College of Nursing developed in 1977 the only EOF program to
exclusively support nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The CN-EOF program is
administered by a Director and is staffed by, two Senior Counselors, a Developmental Specialist, several
co-adjutant faculty, peer tutors, peer counselors and a Computing Specialist and an Administrative
Assistant. The CN-EOF curriculum consists of: a six week summer readiness program; concurrent
support courses in the Sciences, Math and English; counseling seminars; special topics seminars in
writing, test-taking and the nursing process; a pre-junior clinical summer enrichment program; a National
Council Licensure Examination for Register Nurses (NCLEX-RN) board review; and a student leadership
development program. A preview of upper Nursing courses such as Nursing Topics and Chemistry are
provided in the intersession. Individual and group tutoring and counseling services form the cornerstone
of our comprehensive student oriented service model. A cohort of 10-15 students is recruited for the
summer program.
The students and faculty are supported by an administrative structure that includes the Dean, the Associate Dean
of Undergraduate Education, the Associate Dean of Graduate Education, the Associate Dean for Faculty and
Staff Affairs, the Assistant Dean for Professional Development, the Assistant Dean of the Educational
Opportunity Fund, and a variety of clinical and non-clinical Directors (Appendix B-I.3)
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II-C The chief nurse administrator
William L. Holzemer, RN, PhD, FAAN, is the chief nurse administrator of the Rutgers College of Nursing.
He was recruited to Rutgers in September 2009 from the University of California, San Francisco, where
he had a long and distinguished career in administration, teaching and research at the UCSF School of
Nursing. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Washington (1967), Master’s
degree in Educational Psychology from Miami University (Ohio) (1968) and a PhD degree in Higher
Education Administration from Syracuse University (1975). In 1985 he earned a BSN from San Francisco
State University. He is a Registered Nurse in both California and New Jersey. He served as Associate
Dean for Research from 1990-95 and Chairperson, Dept. of Community Health Systems from 1995-01.
Dr. Holzemer does not have an advanced degree in nursing (Holzemer CV). However, the Associate
Dean for Undergraduate Education, Maureen Esteves, PhD, RN. has a master’s degree and PhD in
nursing from New York University (NYU). The Associate Dean for Graduate Education, Linda Flynn, PhD,
RN, FAAN has a master’s degree in community health nursing and a PhD in nursing from Rutgers, and
completed a post doctoral research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing,
Center for Health Outcomes & Policy Research, under the direction of Dr. Linda Aiken.
Dr. Holzemer is a member of the Institute of Medicine, Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing,
Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a member of the Japan Academy of Nursing. He is a
former Fulbright Scholar (Egypt), a Project HOPE Fellow (USA-Mexico Border), and is a Visiting
Professor at St. Luke’s College of Nursing, Tokyo, Japan. He is an elected member of the International
Council of Nurses Board of Directors, 2005-2013 and received the 2007 Distinguished International
Leadership Award, CGFNS International.
Dr. Holzemer is an internationally recognized expert in academic nursing and HIV/AIDS care providing
global leadership to the World Health Organization, the International Council of Nurses, and many
Universities around the world. He has served as consultant and external reviewer for governmental
agencies such as the Finish Academy of Nursing, the Japan Academy of Nursing, African Nursing Honor
Society, RAE 2001 Higher Education Funding Council (United Kingdom), the Medical Research Council
for South Africa and others. He has demonstrated leadership with the National League for Nursing (NLN),
American Academy of Nursing (AAN), Commission on the Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools
(CGFNS), American Nurses Association (ANA), and served as President of the American Nurses
Foundation (ANF) (2002-2006). Under his leadership, the Council for the Advancement of Nursing
Science was organized within the American Academy of Nursing to provide a national voice for
translational research and health policy development related to nursing science.
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Dr. Holzemer has provided national leadership through his participation in national commissions. In 1994,
he served on the first national guideline panel for care of HIV, Evaluation and Treatment of Early HIV
Infection (AHRQ). He has served on two Institute of Medicine committees. From 2001-2003 he served as
a member of the committee that produced the report, Measuring What Matters: Allocation, Planning, and
Quality Assessment for the Ryan White Care Act (2003). From 2004-2007 he served as member and
chair of the Care sub panel that evaluated the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
which resulted in the text, PEPFAR Implementation: Progress and Promise (2007).
Dr. Holzemer has a distinguished research career in nursing, receiving his first research award (R01) in
1978 to study clinical decision-making among nurse practitioners. Since then, he has had continuous
extramural funding as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator. He recently completed six years
as a chartered member and Chair of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study section. For the last 20
years, his research has focused on symptom management, adherence, stigma and quality of life for
people living with the HIV infection.
He joined Rutgers College of Nursing in September 2009, and is focusing his leadership role on
sustaining the quality of the academic programs; building a stronger emphasis upon patient safety,
quality, and patient outcomes throughout the academic and research programs; and, building a strong
emphasis upon urban health in the service learning opportunities for students, clinical practice
opportunities for faculty, and research opportunities for faculty and graduate students.
Dr. Holzemer’s administrative experience is extensive. At UCSF he served as Evaluation Coordinator
from 1979-1985; Director of the Office of Research from 1985-1990; Associate Dean for Research from
1990-1995; and Chairperson of the Department of Community Health Systems from 1995-2001. His last
administrative position from 2001-2009 was as Associate Dean for International Programs. During his
tenure as Associate Dean for Research NIH funding at UCSF increased dramatically and for the last
several years UCSF has ranked number one in NIH funding. While as Department Chairperson, Dr.
Holzemer was active in develop faculty practice sites for advanced practice nurses in San Francisco.
Dr. Holzemer’s academic experience is extensive, having been the Principal Investigator on many NIH
research grants, serving on NIH panels, and publishing over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Dr. Holzemer was hired to provide leadership at Rutgers University College of Nursing in all areas, and
particularly to build the research portfolio of the College. His interests, however, are equally centered
upon re-building undergraduate nursing education by working on new models of collaboration with clinical
agencies, working to establish faculty practice sites combined with service learning opportunities in the
communities of Newark and New Brunswick, and to re-build the Office of Research in the College and
provide leadership in building several focused programs of research in areas of urban health and patient
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safety, quality, and outcomes.
The Dean of the College of Nursing has budgetary, decision-making and evaluation authority that is
identical to all other chief academic administrators (Deans) at Rutgers University.
II-D Faculty members are: sufficient in number to accomplish the mission, goals, and expected student
and faculty outcomes; academically prepared for the areas in which they teach; and experientially
prepared for the areas in which h they teach.
Faculty: Sufficient in Number and Quality:
Currently in the College of Nursing, there are a total of 37 full time faculty and 2 part time (50% and 25%)
comprising the line faculty members. A listing of names, educational preparation, relevant experience,
certifications, and teaching responsibilities is found in Appendix B-II.1. Part-time Lecturers (PTLs) are
another valuable component of our educational programs because they bring additional clinical expertise
and flexible teaching loads to the College of Nursing. There are a total of 47 PTLs; their names,
educational levels, certifications, clinical expertise, and teaching responsibilities are in Appendix B-II.2.
Full time faculty are calculated as 1 FTE; the full time equivalent for PTLs by semester is based on the
number of credits they teach per semester; 12 credits = 1FTE; 9 credits = .75FTE; 6 credits = .50FTE; 3
credits = .25 FTE. Based on this calculation, there are 12 Full time NP faculty (12 FTEs), 1 Part
time/permanent NP faculty (.50 FTE), and 5 PTLs for a total of 13.25 faculty FTEs. The annualized FTE
for PTLs is based on 24 credits = 1 FTE; 12 credits = .50 FTE; 6 credits = .25 FTE.
Undergraduate Faculty. Many of our line faculty members teach across undergraduate and graduate
programs. A total of 26 (head count) line faculty members, or 19.00 full time faculty FTEs teach in the
Undergraduate Program. They are joined by a total of 39 (head count) PTLs combined with one .25 part
time line faculty member that comprise a total of 10.45 Part Time FTEs teaching in the Undergraduate
Program. In total, 29.45 FTEs are devoted to the Undergraduate Program, which has a total enrollment of
640 students.
PTLs are predominately expert clinicians from the practice sector who teach part-time in addition to
working in their practice setting. Due to their clinical expertise, the PTLs are superb faculty for clinical
education, and their teaching assignments are concentrated in clinical, or practicum, courses. Among the
47 PTLs teaching in the Undergraduate and Graduate programs, a total of 11% (n = 5) joined us during
1998-2004, 40% (n = 19) joined us during2005 -2008, 43% (n = 20) joined us in 2009, and 6% (n = 3) are
joining us this year, demonstrating stability within our PTL workforce.
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The total numbers of undergraduate faculty are sufficient to maintain faculty-to-student ratios in
undergraduate clinical courses at 1:10, as required by the New Jersey Board of Nursing. Sufficiency is
also demonstrated by an examination of the workloads of faculty teaching in the Undergraduate Program.
The number of credits taught each semester ranges from 3 to 9 credits among PTLs, with the model
teaching assignment being one 3-credit course. According to the Workload Policy, Clinical Instructors
should have a maximum load of 12 credits per semester; Clinical Assistant/Associate Professors have a
maximum load of 9-10 credits per semester; and, Assistant/Associate/Professors who are tenured or on
the tenure track should be capped at 6-9 credits per semester. Examination of the Faculty Workload
document for fall 2010 demonstrates there are a sufficient number of faculty in the undergraduate
program to maintain compliance with this policy.
Note: Our enrollment numbers vary when reported because 1) we have difficulty getting accurate data
from the University, 2) late registration of students making it difficult to predict enrollment and
requirements for sections of courses, and 3) switching between part-time, full-time, and taking time out.
We are working on creating solutions to this problem with the hiring of a Director of the Office of Research
& Evaluation.
In the Master’s Program, a total of 16 (head count) full time line faculty members are devoted to teaching,
comprising 12 full time faculty FTEs. They are joined by six (head count) PTLs and one .50 FTE part-time
line faculty member to comprise a total of 3.4 part time FTEs devoted to the master’s program. In all, 15.4
FTEs teach in the master’s program, which has a total enrollment of 206 students. Examination of the
Faculty Workload document for fall 2010 demonstrates there are a sufficient number of faculty in the
Graduate Program to maintain compliance with the faculty proposed workload policy.
Graduate-Level Nurse Practitioner Faculty: The College of Nursing offers Nurse Practitioner (NP)
programs in the following clinical specialties: Acute Care; Adult-Gerontology; Family, Pediatrics;
Psychiatric Mental Health; and Women’s Health (WH). There are a total of 17 faculty licensed as NPs and
holding current national certification in their specialty; 13 are permanent faculty and 4 are PTLs. They
include: Claudia Beckmann (WH; Full Time), Barbara Cannella (WH: Full Time), Candice Knight
(Psychiatric-Mental Health; Full Time), Marlene Rankin (Psychiatric-Mental Health; Full Time), Lucille Joel
(Psychiatric-Mental Health; Full Time), Mary Ann Foley-Mayer (Psychiatric-Mental Health / PTL), Helen
Miley (Acute Care; 50% time, permanent), Melissa Scollan-Koliopolous (Family; Full Time), Eileen
Scarinci (Family; Full Time), Felesia Bowen (Pediatrics; Full Time), Kathy Abel (Pediatrics / PTL), Carmen
Arroyo (Pediatrics/PTL) Deanna Gray-Micili (Gerontology; Full Time), Judith Barberio (Adult; Full Time),
Karen D-Alonzo (Adult; Full Time), Theresa Lord-Stout (Adult / PTL), and Sherry Stein (Adult PTL).
Progression through the program is staggered, with some students taking up to five years to complete the
plan of study. Consequently, enrollments in the NP didactic and clinical courses during any given
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semester remain relatively low and therefore faculty are sufficient in number. Further evidence of faculty
sufficiency is that faculty-to-student ratios for clinical practicum NP courses range from 1:3 to 1:6, with an
occasional 1:7 in sections taught by faculty who are very experienced clinicians; ratios for didactic
courses range from 1:3 to 1:21.The ratio of full time faculty to PTLs is 12:3 (FTEs), which provides a
stable faculty workforce with the flexibility provided by a small number of PTLs.
Academically and Experientially Prepared: Didactic and clinical teaching assignments are based on the
academic preparation and clinical expertise / certification of faculty members. All faculty members hold
graduate degrees in nursing as required by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and accreditation bodies.
Faculty members Curriculum Vitae as well as documentation of certification and licensure are kept on file
at the College of Nursing; the respective Associate Deans of Undergraduate and Graduate Education, in
collaboration with the Graduate Clinical Specialty Directors, are responsible for ensuring that the
academic and experiential preparation of all faculty members are consistent with the courses they are
assigned (Appendix B-II.1).
Graduate Nurse Practitioner faculty members are educated and certified in their area of specialization
(Appendix B-II.1). To ensure compliance with all criteria as specified in the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse
Practitioner Programs (National Task Force, 2008), an internal reorganization of the faculty was
developed and approved during the faculty retreat of Fall, 2009, under the leadership of the new Dean. A
key component of the reorganization was the creation of the position “Clinical Specialty Director” to head
each of the graduate clinical specialty programs. During the course of the ensuing academic year, four
doctoral-prepared Clinical Specialty Directors, licensed as Advanced Practice Nurses and holding
national certification in their respective specialty, were hired to head the NP specialty programs offered at
the College of Nursing. Three of the Clinical Specialty Directors were appointed from lead certified
specialty faculty who were employed by the CON. The Clinical Specialty Directors for the Nurse
Practitioner programs include:
Candice Knight, PhD, Ed.D, APN: Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program. Dr. Knight is
the chair of the Society of Advance Practice Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurses in the State of New Jersey
and she has an extensive independent practice. In addition to her publications, she was recently awarded
a grant from the Merck Pharmaceutical Corporation to coordinate and provide all psychiatric services for
Hunterdon County’s homeless shelters.
Helen Miley, PhD, CCRN, APN: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program. Dr. Miley holds national
certification as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and is licensed in the State of New Jersey (NJ) as an
Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN); she maintains an active practice. Her completed research includes a
hermeneutic analysis of women and heart disease, an investigation of the impact of certification on
practice patterns, and development of a Model of Excellence of Advanced Nursing Practice in Critical
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Care. Her work has been published in by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the Journal of Nursing
Staff Development.
Deanna Gray Miceli, PhD, GNP-BC; APN, CRNP, FAANP: Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Program. Dr.
Gray-Miceli is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Gerontological Nurse
Practitioner and licensed in NJ as an APRN. Her funded program of research has produced a highly
regarded pre-fall assessment tool and she is a nationally recognized expert in this area. She collaborated
with the NJ Department of Health & Senior Services to implement a statewide initiative to prevent falls
among elders in acute care hospitals. Her work has been published in leading journals.
Judith Barberio, PhD, APN: Adult Nurse Practitioner Program. Dr. Barberio is certified by the ANCC as
an Adult Nurse Practitioner and Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and licensed in NJ as an APRN. She
maintains her own practice and is the author of the highly regarded “Nurse’s Pocket Drug Guide”
published annually by McGraw-Hill.
Felecia Bowen, PhD, APN: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program. Dr. Bowen is certified as a Pediatric
Nurse Practitioner by ANCC and is licensed in NJ as an APRN. Her research investigates the effects of a
standardized asthma education program for children ages 8-12 on health outcomes. She plans to practice
one day/week as a nurse practitioner at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel
Medical Center.
Melissa Scollan-Koliopolous, PhD, APN: Family Nurse Practitioner Program. Dr. Koliopoulous is certified
as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the ACCN and is licensed in NJ as an APRN, where she practices part
time. Her research has contributed to the understanding and management of multigenerational diabetes.
She is a peer reviewer for multiple journals and the author of numerous publications.
Claudia Beckmann, PhD, AP, WHNP, BC, CNM: Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program. Dr.
Beckman is certified by NCC as a Women’s Health Practitioner and as a Nurse Midwife. She is a peer
reviewer for multiple journals.
II-E When used by the program, preceptors, as an extension of faculty, are academically and
experientially qualified for their role in assisting in the achievement of the mission, goals, and expected
student outcomes.
Over the last three academic years, preceptors have been utilized almost exclusively in graduate level
education, with the exception of the RN to BS program. The Graduate Preceptor Handbook for Faculty
and the Graduate Preceptor Handbook for Preceptors specifies that preceptor qualifications include a
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master’s degree in a nursing specialty area, certification in their specific specialty area, an advanced
practice license in New Jersey, and experiential background suitable to the students’ learning objectives.
It is the responsibility of the faculty members who teach the clinical courses to ensure that preceptors
meet these qualification and that preceptors hold a College of Nursing adjunct appointment following the
standardized appointment process outlined in the Handbook Graduate Preceptor Handbook for Faculty.
This process includes review and approval of credentials and APRN license verification by the Associate
Dean of Graduate Education, the Appointment, Reappointment, and Promotion Committee, and then final
approval by the Dean. The current list of approved preceptors is sent to graduate faculty via email at the
start of each semester; the approved preceptor database includes the name, education, certification, and
agency address (preceptor database). Moreover, the Faculty, Student, Undergraduate and Graduate
Preceptor Handbooks clearly describe the role of the preceptor and emphasize that the final student
grade is determined by the faculty member with input from the preceptor.
Graduate clinical faculty and students perform an evaluation of the preceptor each semester; the
preceptor conducts a self-evaluation, as well. Faculty, student, and self-evaluations are reviewed by
graduate clinical faculty and the Clinical Specialty Director. Initiated in summer of 2010, a synthesis of
evaluations and site visits results in a formal recommendation by the Specialty Director/faculty as to
whether the preceptor’s performance is satisfactory or unsatisfactory (Site and Preceptor Evaluation
Sheet, spring 2010).
II-F The parent institution and program provide and support an environment that encourages faculty
teaching, scholarship, service, and practice in keeping with the mission, goals, and expected faculty
outcomes.
The Faculty Workload Policy (Faculty Workload Policy) and the monitoring of compliance with faculty
workload caps via the Faculty Workload document (Faculty Workload document), helps to ensure that
faculty members have the time to devote to enhancement of their teaching skills, practice and/or
scholarship, and service. To enhance the teaching skills of faculty, the Rutgers College of Nursing’s
Office of Professional Development offers a post-master’s certificate course in Nursing Education, which
faculty are encouraged to attend. As previously described, experts from the Office of Academic
Technology consult with faculty members in the area of course design and the use of technology to assist
in meeting educational goals. Also as previously described, the University and the College of Nursing
have multiple resources and services to support faculty in the progression of their research and
scholarship, including an extensive library system, research centers, and grants support. The College of
Nursing is home to the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing, a nursing workforce research center
of excellence created by State legislation and staffed by College of Nursing faculty. Faculty members,
students, and community stakeholders interested in nursing workforce and outcomes research
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collaborate within this milieu, and have produced several landmark studies and publications. The
development of two more research Centers of Excellence within the College of Nursing is underway and
scheduled for academic year 2010-2011.
Most, if not all, of our faculty members contribute service at the university, community, state, national, or
professional level. Types of service include serving on community boards, peer-review panels, and
professional organizations. For details, see Faculty Outcomes in Standard IV and Faculty Curriculum
Vitae, available in the Resource Room. Other community-based service activities include church-based
and agency-based health fairs where Rutgers students and faculty provide services such as blood sugar
testing, blood pressure, weight, etc.
Summary: The students and faculty of the College of Nursing are supported by the vast resources of Rutgers
University, which are available on both campuses. Additionally, the College of Nursing has an impressive list of its
own resources including a newly renovated building in Newark and a new building in New Brunswick, clinical
simulation laboratories, computer laboratories, learning centers, grants management services, and emerging
research centers. Faculty are sufficient in numbers, credentials, education, and experience to offer excellent
opportunities and support for students as they achieve their learning outcomes.
Strengths: The recent restructuring at the College of Nursing that created the position of Clinical Specialty
Director is a major strength of the master’s program. The expert Clinical Directors provide oversight for their
respective Advanced Practice programs ensuring program integrity and compliance with accreditation and
professional guidelines. The size and expertise of the faculty is another major strength of the College, as is its
leadership, headed by an experienced and highly regarded Dean.
Areas for improvement/challenges: The maintenance of a 1:6 NP faculty to student ratio in the clinical practica is
an area that warrants close monitoring. The hiring of 10 new faculty will certainly contribute to the achievement of
this goal. With rising enrollments, however, this goal remains a challenge. Like many other schools in the nation,
the other challenge facing the College of Nursing is the implementation of a BS to DNP curriculum, projected for
2011 or 2012. The administration and faculty are committed to this goal, have developed a curriculum, and are
prepared for the challenge.
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Standard III: Program Quality: Curriculum and Teaching-Learning Practices
The curriculum is developed in accordance with the mission, goals and expected aggregate student outcomes and reflects professional nursing standards and guidelines and the needs and expectations of the community of interest. Teaching Learning practices are congruent with expected individual student learning outcomes and expected aggregate student outcomes. The environment for teaching learning fosters achievement of expected individual student learning outcomes.
III-A The curriculum is developed, implemented and revised to reflect clear statements of expected
individual student learning outcomes that are congruent with the program’s mission, goals, and expected
aggregate outcomes.
The curriculum is guided by the expected outcomes derived from the program’s mission and goals. The
mission and goals of the College of Nursing, as stated in Standard I, advance the discipline of nursing in
education, research, and practice. The College of Nursing accomplishes this mission through its
educational programs, faculty scholarship, and service to individuals, families, communities and the
profession.
Rutgers College of Nursing has four academic programs: (1) baccalaureate (generic BS in Nursing,
accelerated BS in Nursing and RN-BS/MS); (2) master’s (MS); (3) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) (post
Master’s) and (4) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). The overarching expected outcomes of these programs
are the preparation of graduates who: 1) provide quality care within the framework of professional nursing
standards and guidelines; 2) advance the well-being of individuals, families, communities, locally,
nationally and globally and 3) are knowledgeable, compassionate, and competent nurses committed to
lifelong professional development. These goals are consonant with those of the College of Nursing and
the parent institution, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Rutgers University professes in its
vision statement to prepare graduates to contribute to improving the health and well being of diverse
populations and enhancing patient safety and quality across all health care settings.
The Baccalaureate Program. The mission and goals of the College of Nursing serve as a basis from
which the undergraduate curriculum is derived and organized. The overall goals of the undergraduate
program are to prepare graduates who: 1) possess a broad-based liberal arts and science education; 2)
who are prepared as nurse generalists; 3) have an understanding of the issues and problems
confronted by professional nursing in an ever-changing diverse society; and, 4) possess a
comprehensive knowledge base to deal with the issues and problems of the people they serve and the
39
complexities of the health care delivery system.
The following baccalaureate program outcomes are designed to convey the mission and goals of the
College of Nursing as stated in Standard I. They were developed in accordance with the AACN’s
Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (2008) and ANA’s Nursing:
Scope and Practice Standards (2004).
The Rutgers College of Nursing baccalaureate graduate is prepared to:
1. Synthesize theories and concepts from the liberal arts and sciences as the basis for professional nursing practice.
2. Communicate effectively in a variety of written, verbal, and emerging technologies with clients, peers, and health care professionals.
3. Analyze and utilize health data, research findings and information technology for evidenced based nursing practice.
4. Engage in ethical reasoning and actions to promote advocacy, collaboration and social justice.
5. Provide culturally sensitive nursing care in health promotion, risk reduction and disease prevention.
6. Integrate knowledge of health care policy, finance and regulatory environments in the care of diverse populations.
7. Use clinical reasoning and decision making skills to provide safe quality care. 8. Values the ideal of life–long learning.
The achievement of course and program outcomes are evidenced in the crosswalks completed against
the Essentials. These course crosswalks are described more fully in Key Element III-B. The process
ensured that all required learning outcomes and experiences are included in the plan of study for the
undergraduate program.
Expectations for student learning outcomes are clearly articulated in each course and contribute to the
achievement of the overall program outcomes.
Master’s Program. The overall goals of the master’s program are to prepare graduates who: (1)
possess an in depth knowledge of the discipline and profession of which they are a part and the specialty
in which they practice; (2) initiate change and improve advanced nursing practice and 3) provide
leadership in the provision of quality and safe care to multicultural populations. The goals of the program
are consonant with those of the parent institution and the mission and goals of the College of Nursing as
stated in Standard I. Expectations for student learning outcomes in each specialty are articulated in the
core and specialty courses and contribute to the achievement of the overall program outcomes.
(Appendix B III 1-4).
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The Rutgers College of Nursing master's graduate will be prepared to:
1. Integrate knowledge from nursing and related disciplines as the basis for advance nursing practice with diverse populations.
2. Manage independently and collaboratively, the health care problems of clients in a variety of settings.
3. Apply ethical analyses and clinical reasoning in advanced nursing care to diverse populations. 4. Use research findings to provide high quality health care, initiate change, and improve advanced
nursing practice. 5. Design and provide quality, safe, cost-effective care for clinical or community-based
populations and the health care system. 6. Provide culturally competent care. 7. Participate in regulatory, legislative, and professional policy to promote healthy communities. 8. Synthesize knowledge from information sciences, health communication and literacy to provide
advance practice care to culturally diverse populations. 9. Evaluate the standards of practice and consensus or evidence-based practice guidelines applicable to
a particular population or area of practice. 10. Employ educational strategies (using instructional theories/research) with clients, families, staff
members, and others. 11. Use theories from organizational sciences to optimize health system functioning 12. Pursue doctoral study.
Doctorate of Nursing Practice. In 2007, the College of Nursing faculty implemented a 41 credit
post-masters DNP program with full approval of the Graduate School-Newark and the University. The
College of Nursing is committed to offering the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) as the terminal practice-
focused degree, complementing the PhD as the research-focused degree. The Master’s Committee and
the graduate faculty have developed the proposed curriculum for the post-baccalaureate DNP, which has
been approved by the graduate faculty. The Post-Masters DNP program is scheduled for an accreditation
visit in the fall of 2011. This report focuses only on the baccalaureate and Master’s programs.
III-B. Expected individual student learning outcomes are consistent with the role for which the
program is preparing its graduates. Curricula are developed, implemented and revised to
reflect professional nursing standards and guidelines, which are clearly evident with the
curriculum, expected individual student learning outcomes and expected aggregate student
outcomes.
Professional nursing standards and guidelines are used in all curricular planning and evaluation, The
Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 2008), The Essentials
of Master's Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 1996), and Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse
Practitioner Programs (NTF, 2008) are used to guide development and/or revision of the baccalaureate
and master's program outcomes and objectives for all courses. Healthcare system realities and the
competencies identified by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), provide standards and guidelines to increase
emphasis on safety, informatics and genetics. ANA Standards of Nursing and guidelines such as
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Healthy People 2010 and draft of Healthy People 2020 shape and guide the curriculum content.
In July 2008, the faculty began the task of analyzing the curriculum relative to the Baccalaureate
and Master’s Essentials. The faculty was provided with templates to assist them in the review. Each
course was evaluated as to whether or not the essentials were covered and to identify any quality
gaps or overlaps in content areas. The faculty survey’s were reviewed by the respective academic
deans and the Academic Affairs Committee and brought to the full faculty for discussion,
recommendations and possible revisions. The review demonstrated a robust match with the
Essentials and that the courses in both the baccalaureate and graduate program did not require
major revisions. Adjustments were made when minor discrepancies were found in the baccalaureate
curriculum (Appendix B-III.3) and the Masters’ degree program (Appendix B-III.4).
Baccalaureate Program. The baccalaureate curriculum was developed to reflect the use of
educational and practice guidelines that direct teaching learning experiences in the program. Students
are exposed to nursing's standardized languages and to a consistent format to clarify and strengthen
nursing's ability to articulate the scope of nursing practice. Teaching-learning experiences provide a
foundation for clinical reasoning in health promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention. These
standards and guidelines, generic in nature, are applied in all practice settings and define the
responsibilities of nurses.
Clinical nursing courses focus on clients who are well or who have acute or chronic health problems
across the life span. Teaching-learning experiences stimulate thinking, reasoning, and decision-making
through a variety of teaching-learning strategies. Students gain knowledge and skills essential to the
development of the roles of care provider, manager/coordinator of care, and member of the nursing
profession. Standards of care and standards of professional performance guide student clinical experiences.
Currently, the Academic Affairs Committee is responsible for maintaining a continuing review and
evaluation of the integrity of both the undergraduate courses and student learning outcomes.
Recommendations are made to the full faculty when issues require faculty discussion and action. Our
new faculty committee structure (effective 11/1/2010) has separated the Academic Affairs Committee into
three programmatic committees, including Baccalaureate, MS/DNP, and PhD.
Master's Program. The Master’s program builds upon the Baccalaureate and prepares advanced
practice nurses in the areas of Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice: Pediatric Nursing,
Advanced Practice: Women’s Health, Community Health Nursing, Primary Care of the Adult and Aged,
Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing. Post-master’s certificate options are
available for each of these specialty areas.
The graduates are prepared to meet the certification requirements for specialized areas or fields of
nursing. The master's program curriculum is developed, revised and evaluated in concert with the
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educational guidelines and position statements published by the following:
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANP) • American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) • American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) • Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) • The Essentials of Master’s Education for Advanced Practice Nurses (AACN, 1996) • National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NOPF) • National Certification Corporation (NCC) • National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) • Pediatric Nursing Certificate Board (PNCB) • State of New Jersey, Board of Nursing (regulations for advanced practice certification including prescriptive privileges). • Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (National Task Force, 2008)
Presently, the Masters Committee on Programs and Policies, made up of representatives from the
specialties, is responsible for oversight of the courses, including development, implementation, evaluation
and revision. They recommend any changes to the graduate faculty who are appointed by the Graduate
School. Beginning in academic year 2010-2011, the Masters Committee and the newly appointed
Specialty Directors will maintain oversight of the curriculum and recommend changes to the faculty as the
MS and DNP degrees have been moved out of the Graduate School and all related responsibilities have
been assigned to the College of Nursing.
III-C. The curriculum is logically structured to achieve expected individual and aggregate student
outcomes.
Baccalaureate Program. The current undergraduate curriculum requires 125 credits for graduation, of
which 68 are in the nursing major (Table 6). The curriculum is primarily an upper-division nursing
program whereby 55 credits are accrued during the last two years of the four-year program. In the
current curriculum the first two years of the nursing curriculum (lower division) are primarily comprised of
liberal arts, sciences, and humanities courses that provide foundational knowledge to the professional
curriculum (upper division) offered primarily in the last two years of the student's educational
experience. The general education courses are viewed as important to student's development and to
the student's ability to integrate knowledge from a variety of disciplines in the care and coordination of
patient/client services. For example, knowledge gained in these courses promotes critical thinking,
which is the basis for clinical reasoning and ethical decision making
The sequencing of science courses are based so that the student must complete Anatomy and
Physiology I and II before they take Pathophysiology and Microbiology. It is suggested that students take
Nutrition with Organic Biochemistry as a co-requisite or pre-requisite but it is not required that they be
taken concurrently. Additionally the offering of some science courses are limited by the University
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because of decreased resources. In light of some of these challenges, students’ performance has been
tracked and has demonstrated no significant differences in student outcomes, even though the
progression pattern of the sciences may slightly vary.
Table 6. Model undergraduate baccalaureate curriculum
Fall Semester Spring Semester First Year: Freshman Level 705:101 Academic & Professional Development 920:101 Intro to Sociology 350:101 English Composition I 350:102 English Composition II 120:241 Anatomy & Physiology I 705:223 Trends in Healthcare Delivery Anthropology/Cultural Studies Elective 120:242 Anatomy & Physiology II History/Political Science/Economics/
Elective Humanities Elective
Elective Second Year: Sophomore Level 120:245 Pathophysiology 160:108 Organic Biochemistry 705:229 Life Span: A Holistic Approach 160:110 World of Chem. Lab 705:233 Human Interactive Processes 120:235 Microbiology 960:211 Statistics 705:202 Cultural Dimension of Humans 709:255 Nutrition and Health Technology Elective Free Elective Third Year: Junior Level
705:306 Health Assessment Across the Life Span 705:314 Health & Illness of Children &
Adolescents 705:307 Nursing Care Provider I 705:320 Health & Illness of Adults 705:310 The Childbearing Family 705:322 Nursing Care Provider II 705:390 Research Process in Nursing 705:395 Pharmacotherapeutics Fourth Year: Senior Level 705:409 Psych Mental Health Nursing 705:444 Community Health Nursing 705:415 Health & Illness of Older Adults 705:498 Leadership & Management in Nursing Elective Literature Elective
The required liberal studies component includes two English writing courses, sociology, statistics,
anthropology/cultural studies, a political science, history, or economics course, and a technology course.
These foundational courses lead to the following: a broad understanding of humans and the human
condition; an appreciation of varied perspectives; and a broadened world-view in a multicultural society.
Relative to the humanities, students are required to take a literature elective and humanities elective such
as philosophy. Students are also required to take nine credits of free electives in which they have the
flexibility to take courses in the arts and/or sciences. This is consistent with the principles of a liberal
undergraduate education. Students learn to make choices, broaden their knowledge base, and share
ideas with students in other disciplines. Courses in the liberal education domain assist students to
develop values, ethical principles, and personal standards, are necessary for professional nursing
practice and for making reasoned choices and decisions.
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Four foundational nursing theory courses are offered in the lower division; these include: 705:223
Trends in Health Care Delivery, 705:233 Human Interactive Processes, 705:229 Life Span: A Holistic
Approach, and 705:202 Cultural Dimensions of Humans and their Environment. The undergraduate
curriculum clearly builds upon knowledge gained from these courses such as 1) Trends in Health Care
Delivery which provides the initial framework from which students learn about and appreciate the
complexities of the health care delivery system and the nurse leaders who have contributed to the
advancement of the profession and discipline 2) Human Interactive Processes, which emphasizes
knowledge and skills of communication and provides the basis for developing competency in
therapeutic communication; 3) Life Span because of its developmental thrust and 4). Cultural
Dimensions, which is critical to the students' ability to deliver culturally sensitive care to the highly
diverse populations they serve in the state of New Jersey. In addition, students are required to take
Research Process in Nursing which focuses on development of the students skills in using the
research process to define clinical research problems and to determine the usefulness of research in
clinical decisions related to evidence based practice. A statistics course is prerequisite to the nursing
research course that is offered early in the upper division so that students are introduced to
translational research findings for evidence-based practice as they progress through the curriculum.
Students use and synthesize knowledge gained from the foundational courses in the upper division
nursing courses that emphasize the promotion of health, risk reduction, disease prevention, and the
management of acute and chronic illnesses to culturally diverse populations. Equivalent progression
occurs within the Accelerated Second Degree and RN to BS/MS programs as they progress through their
course sequences which are structured to take into account the background qualifications met by the
individual student. The courses and course descriptions are published in the online Rutgers- Newark
Undergraduate Catalogue.
Conceptually, the baccalaureate curriculum is designed to focus, during the junior year and senior year,
on health and illness of individuals/groups/families and communities across the life span, with
leadership and community health nursing courses taken in the last semester of the program. The
courses include theory and clinical components and follow a developmental model starting with
childbearing families, moving to the health and illness of children and adolescents, followed by adults
and older adults and psychiatric-mental health nursing. Nursing Care Provider I and II, Health
Assessment and Pharmacotherapeutics provide core knowledge for the upper division nursing courses.
It is believed that this design more closely approximates the health care delivery system and the
health care needs of population-based nursing as expressed in such documents as Healthy People
2010 and the draft of Healthy People 2020 and more readily allows for integration into the curriculum of
global health problems across the life span. Moreover, it is believed that this design leads to
progression of knowledge from simple to complex. This can be evidenced by how students initially
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focus on the care of individuals and then progress to the care of families and communities, by their
clinical experiences which start with a wellness focus and then progress to acute and chronic care
and by their acquisition of skills and clinical reasoning abilities as they move from novice to
competent generalist to clinical experts.
Community-based nursing care is threaded through the courses offered in the junior and senior years.
However, with the growing movement of delivery of nursing care into the community, the faculty
reaffirmed the need for a separate course focusing on community health theory and practice. This course
synthesizes knowledge gained from previous nursing and non-nursing courses to solve complex problems
encountered in community settings with diverse populations.
Since the last self study, the faculty reaffirmed the continued need for a separate course in psychiatric
mental health nursing in light of the increasing incidence and prevalence of psychiatric mental health
problems identified nationally and internationally in individuals at varying stages of human development.
For example, the World Health Organization has identified depression as a major global health problem.
This course addresses theories and therapeutic modalities used to treat individuals across the life span
with major psychiatric and mental health problems. (Standard III.C.1, III.C.2)
Accelerated Second Degree Program. The curriculum for the accelerated option for those students who
hold an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than nursing is based on the BS in Nursing curriculum.
The student completes the same required nursing courses outlined in the BS in Nursing curriculum. Since
the accelerated option students hold an undergraduate degree they are not held to the General Education
requirements of Rutgers College of Nursing. The science prerequisites (noted above) are the same as
those transferring into nursing as a junior student. The accelerated student currently takes the same
nursing courses as the traditional generic student. However, their progression varies with 705:306 Health
Assessment, 705:307 Nursing Care Provider I and 705:320 Nursing Care Provider II, 120:245
Pathophysiology and 705:395 Pharmacotherapeutics taken in the summer prior to the start of clinical
courses and 705:410 Nursing Care in Psych-Mental Health in the winter semester. The following summer
the student takes 705:444 Community Heath Nursing and 705:498 Leadership & Management. This
program takes 14 months to complete. (Standard III.C.3)
RN to BS/MS in Nursing Option. Rutgers College of Nursing has been responsive to the educational
needs of the registered nurse with either an associate degree or diploma preparation. The generic
baccalaureate degree is modified to meet their special needs and builds on the knowledge gained in
their entry level program. Concepts such as lifelong learning, responsibility-centered management,
best practices, evidence-based practice, globalism, cultural diversity, informatics and clinical reasoning
are emphasized throughout the program. Those who qualify and who wish to go on for further study may
take up to 12 credits to satisfy both the requirements of the BS and the initial requirements of the MS. The
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RN to BS/MS is a rigorous academic track with strict requirements regarding transferable coursework,
and courses which may and may not be challenged through examination. (See section on RN to BS/MS
Curriculum).
This option offers students a seamless approach that enables registered nurses to become advanced
practice nurses with greater ease and in a shorter time frame. Graduate courses can be taken while
completing the baccalaureate degree. Students are required to apply to the graduate program upon
completion of the BS degree. This program incorporates the cardinal principles of adult learning: prior
experience, self-direction, practicality, and motivation to learn that which is necessary to succeed
(Standard III C.4).
In summary, the faculty believes the undergraduate curriculum meets the educational needs of students
for beginning nursing practice. The nursing program is comprehensive, futuristic, population-based, and
designed to meet the learning needs of the College's internal community of interest and the health and
illness needs of the College's external community of interest.
Master's Program. The focus of ongoing curricular evaluation and revision in the master's program
has been focused on the incorporation of content and learning experiences essential to the
performance of the advanced practice role. The master’s program is structured to include general
core courses (Table 7), a scientific core, and specialty courses; the latter are specific to the students'
areas of specialization and practice. In the general and science core courses, advanced nursing
knowledge needed by all students is presented. The knowledge transmitted in the specialized courses
builds on and extends that of the core courses.
Table 7. Core Courses and Clinical Specialty Courses for Master’s degree curriculum
Curriculum: Masters Degree NP Core Courses 120:547 Advanced Pathophysiology 705:504 Human Diversity/Social Issues 705:510 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing 705:520 Advanced Health Assessment 705:538 Pharmacodynamics 750:512 Research Methods 705:506 Contemporary Role of The APN Specialty Courses – 3 to 4 Theoretical and Clinical courses in specialty area.
The master's curriculum reflects the changing health care milieu, quality and safety, advancement in
technology, the ethical/legal environment, and cultural diversity among the recipients of health care. It is
organized to provide logical and clear articulation with the competencies of baccalaureate graduates.
Masters students are all graduates of accredited baccalaureate nursing programs. The goal of the
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master’s program is to prepare advanced practice nurses to practice in a variety of organizations in an
ever-changing health care system. The primary focus of the master's program is the clinical role of the
advanced practice nurse (Standard III C.5).
The core content in the master's program is foundational to the advanced practice nursing role. The
science core course, 120:547 Advanced Pathophysiology, is taken by all of the students. Two additional
science courses, 120:528Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease and 120:540 Advanced Human
Physiology and Pathophysiology II are requirements for students in the Advanced Practice Adult Acute
Care track. The science courses build on the undergraduate courses in anatomy and physiology,
microbiology, and pathophysiology. The graduate courses provide a more in-depth examination of the
pathogenesis of major conditions and infectious diseases affecting humans across the lifespan and their
clinical management. Likewise, 705:538 Pharmacodynamics for Primary Care builds on the
pharmacology learned at the baccalaureate level and prepares the APN for prescriptive privileges.
705:506 Contemporary Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse builds on the content in the undergraduate
program in the senior year focusing on organizational theory and leadership. The graduate course
focuses on the contemporary role of the advanced practice nurse, providing direct care or population-based
care. Organizational theory, health policy, health care economics, including managed care billing
procedures, and ethical dimensions of complex organizations affecting the role of the advanced practice
nurse are discussed. 705:504 Human Diversity and Social Issues in the Community builds on the
undergraduate knowledge of cultural diversity, ethics, and community health. Advanced nursing practice is
examined from an epidemiological perspective in the context of cultural and social pluralism.
The advanced practice role in community-based care and practice is stressed with theoretical emphasis
on health promotion and disease prevention among diverse and vulnerable populations. Global
awareness and developing skills in providing culturally competent care is emphasized. In the course
705:510 Theoretical Foundations of Nursing, the historical and philosophical bases of nursing as a
science are discussed. Conceptual models are analyzed and critiqued for their potential use in
research and advanced practice. 705:512 Research Methods in Nursing builds on the competencies
learned in statistics and in the undergraduate research course where students learn to be critical
consumers of research. At the graduate level, students identify and conceptualize a research problem
relevant to nursing. There is a focus on the scientific merit of empirical findings for evidence based practice
and ethical considerations in the conduct of studies. Research approaches for outcomes research are
addressed. 705:520 Advanced Health Assessment focuses on the assessment competencies needed by
advanced practice nurses. While the undergraduate course focuses on health assessment data to guide
the plan of care, the graduate course focuses on health assessment data to be used for health promotion,
differential diagnoses, and illness management.
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The knowledge needed by advanced practice nurses to treat psychological disorders across the lifespan,
is provided in the core course 705:513 Psychosocial Foundations in Advanced Practice Nursing. It is
required for students in four of the seven specialty tracks because of the need for advanced practice nurses to
treat psychological/mental health disorders across the lifespan. This course builds on the knowledge gained in
the baccalaureate program of psychological/mental health problems. It focuses on biologic and behavioral
theories and research from a variety of disciplines including nursing.
The clinical concentration courses build upon the knowledge and skills developed through
baccalaureate nursing education. While at the baccalaureate level, the goal is to produce nurse
generalists, at the master's level the specialty theory and practicum courses prepare nurses for the
advanced practice nurse role. Students are prepared to successfully complete the relevant
credentialing examinations, and to qualify for certification as an Advanced Practice Nurses with
prescriptive privileges. The general and science cores are followed by three semesters of theory and
practicum courses in six of the specialties. The specialty, Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) requires an
additional semester of theory and practicum courses, in accordance with the standards and certification
requirements for this specialty.
The Masters Committee and the graduate faculty have focused on curriculum for the post-
baccalaureate DNP, which includes the courses necessary to be certified in an advanced practice
specialty. A systematic review of the structure and sequencing of the curriculum based on standards
and guidelines was accomplished. (Standard III C.6)
III-D. Teaching-learning practices and environments support the achievement of expected
individual student learning outcomes and aggregate student outcomes.
The curriculum and teaching-learning practices are consistent with the mission and goals of the College of
Nursing. Both internal and external communities of interest influence the curriculum and teaching
learning practices. The internal community of interest includes the Rutgers University Board of
Governors, administrators of the University, faculty, and students within the College of Nursing. The
external community of interest comprises regulatory bodies (State Board of Nursing, Departments of
Health, and Legislature of the State of New Jersey), professional nursing organizations, and
employers of College of Nursing graduates, health care consumers, alumni, and potential students.
Teaching-learning practices are designed to achieve program outcomes for a diverse group of students
who primarily live in the tri-state area New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The majority of
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courses in both the baccalaureate and master's curriculum are web-enhanced, which provide students
with synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences. The fusion of traditional teaching with new or
emerging technologies accommodates different learning styles and facilitates the achievement of student
learning outcomes. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, provides the infrastructure and support
for web-enhanced and online courses through the use of Blackboard and eCollege. Blackboard is a
partnership between the Newark Computing Services (NCS) and the Office of Academic Technology
(OAT). It is a course management system used to extend the learning environment outside the
classroom. eCollege is another course management system, which provides tools and service that
enhance the online learning environment in the undergraduate and graduate programs.
The university as well as the College of Nursing provides students with opportunities for teaching learning
environments that include computer lab classrooms and smart classrooms. Smart Classrooms are
equipped with a projector, a computer with Internet connection, a DVD and a document camera. The new
College of Nursing building on the New Brunswick campus and the newly renovated College of Nursing
building on the Newark campus have state of the art lecture rooms, video conferencing and wireless
environments.
Rutgers Libraries provides access to a wide variety of databases and full-text electronic journals and
other resources. University librarians meet with classes in a state-of-the-art electronic/multimedia
classroom to provide instruction in the use of the new information technologies in library research
strategies. These librarians also provide assistance to students on a one-to-one basis in the use of
appropriate bibliographic tools and information services. The University librarians created an online
tutorial for all College of Nursing students that is available in all online and web-enhanced courses.
Students and faculty members have direct borrowing privileges at all Rutgers University Libraries on the
Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick campuses.
At one time the college had a very extensive library of video material available for faculty and students.
With the trend to use more digital material and on-line resources and limited financial resources the
decision has been made to limit the holdings to a select few, as requested by the faculty.]
The clinical learning environment also supports the achievement of expected individual and aggregate
student learning outcomes.
Simulation. Currently our faculty and students have access to simulation on both campuses, although
there are some limitations in our ability to provide an extensive array of simulators on each campus. Each
Learning Resource Center is equipped with a METIman high fidelity human simulator, a simulated
medication dispense unit, two ECS adult high fidelity simulators (iStan from METI, ECS from METI and/or
Laerdal). The Newark campus has a pediatric simulator and the New Brunswick campus has Birthing
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Noelle and SimBaby. Students travel to each respective campus to have a simulated experience in
Childbearing and Pediatrics. These mannequins as well as several low/medium fidelity models and task
trainers allow students to practice their nursing skills in a safe, learning centered environment. In 2009, a
dedicated simulation room was created with a two way mirror and METI Vision on the New Brunswick
campus. All students from both campuses use this new resource. Each semester of the upper division
baccalaureate curriculum has a required student experience with simulation.
The simulation learning experiences become more complex and require more independence by the
learner as the student progresses through the curriculum. Discussions are underway with the Nursing
Education Department at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital to have our students access their simulated
patient documentation system. Students have responded very positively to this teaching learning strategy
as documented on the Simulation Effectiveness Tool. It is the intent of the faculty to begin incorporating
simulated experiences in the master’s curriculum. For example, faculty members in the Advanced
Practice in Adult Acute Care specialty are interested in simulation for such procedures as insertion of
central lines when caring for critically ill patients.
Enhancement of the College of Nursing’s teaching learning practices are supported by the services
provided by the Rutgers University Center for Teaching Advancement and Assessment Research
(CTAAR) and faculty workshops conducted at the college. CTAAR provides faculty conferences,
workshops, consultations and presentations. CTAAR provided a workshop on test construction to the
College of Nursing in 2008. Faculty members have attended and/or presented at conference/workshops
specific to improving student success, assessing student outcomes, simulation and increasing student
engagement in the learning process.
Baccalaureate Program. Learning activities are organized to acquire knowledge, to promote clinical
reasoning and to develop care provider skills progressively throughout the curriculum. Student learning
activities are organized around three types of courses, theory, and laboratory and clinical. Through the use
of questions, discussions, and case analysis, information is conveyed and critical thinking is stimulated in
the theory courses. The laboratory skills courses focus on the development of care provider skills and the
processes of inquiry, whereby the content presented in the theory courses is applied in the simulated
laboratory setting. Skills of inquiry and psychomotor skills are practiced and refined. Lastly, the clinical
courses integrate theory and process content in providing direct patient care in a variety of health care
settings to further develop clinical reasoning. The learner (internal community of interest) takes an active
role in acquiring and using knowledge (Standard III.D.2).
The student begins the learning process by studying/working with the individual and progresses to culturally
diverse families, groups, communities and organizations. While moving through the curriculum, the student
focuses on health promotion, risk reduction and disease prevention within a developmental framework. The
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student has multiple opportunities throughout the program to implement the professional role with
increasing autonomy and complexity (Standard III.D.1).
The Clinical Simulation Centers, situated in the College of Nursing Learning Resource Centers, on both
campuses are designed to use patient simulators as an instructional strategy. It provides opportunities
for active learning without risk to an actual patient. Use of the patient simulator allows for an immersive,
experiential learning activity. By providing students with exposure to a variety of clinical situations
through clinical practicum experiences and patient simulations, they can be better equipped to provide
safe, effective care.
Master's Program. The principal teaching methods used in the graduate program are lecture, seminar,
case presentations, threaded discussions, chat rooms, and role modeling. Learning occurs online, in
smart classrooms and in clinical sites. All teaching methods are used to stimulate dialogue, clarify thinking
and promote an exchange of ideas. Students are encouraged to think conceptually and to critically
examine issues and problems relevant to specialized nursing populations and advanced nursing
practice. In the practicum courses, the students are provided experiences with specific populations to
develop the advanced nursing practice role.
Clinical practicum experiences focus on promotion of health and management of acute/episodic and
chronic health problems. All students, except family nurse practitioners (FNP), complete at least 500
hours of precepted clinical experiences over three semesters. The FNP students complete more than
600 hours over a four-semester sequence. These hour requirements match the national certifications
requirements. As the students progress from the first semester of practicum experiences to the final
semester, the advanced practice professional role evolves with increasing complexity. In the primary care
tracks Primary Care of the Adult and Aged, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Advanced Practice: Pediatric
Nursing, the first semester focuses on patients with acute health problems and in the final semester the
focus is on managing chronic health problems.
For example, in the spring semester pediatrics courses --705:526 Advanced Practice in Pediatric
Nursing I and 705:527 Advanced Practice in Pediatric Nursing: Practicum I -- focus on the role of the
advanced practice nurse in health promotion, disease prevention, and management of episodic
illnesses experienced by children and adolescents. The second theory course, 705:540 Primary Care of
the Adult and Aged II, examines gender related health problems that may impact many populations
including adolescents. In the accompanying practicum course, 705:541Primary Care of the Adult
and Aged II Practicum, the students provide direct care to male and female adolescents with gender-
related conditions. In the third semester courses, 705:536 Advanced Practice in Pediatric Nursing III
and 705:537 Advanced Practice in Pediatric Nursing Practicum III, the focus is on chronic health problems
of children and adolescents. In the three sequential semesters, the focus is on the direct patient care role,
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including primary care management of pediatric and adolescent clients, differential diagnoses, and
prescribing medications or complimentary therapies for treatment.
Students in the adult, pediatric, women's health, and family nurse practitioner tracks all take 705:540,
705:541 Primary Care of Adult and Aged II as a second semester (summer) offering because graduates
in these specialties need the content relative to gender related issues and conditions for their practices.
Further, the curriculum for these students has been developed after careful review of the curriculum
guidelines and certification requirements from specialty organizations.
In the Adult Acute Care track, the advanced practice professional role evolves through first caring
for acutely ill patients to the complex care of critically ill patients. Students take a sequence of
courses that focus on acutely ill, injured, and critically ill populations across adulthood.
Advanced Practice: Women’s Health, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, and Community Health
Nursing, the student also moves to managing complex health problems and health care systems in
the final semester. The community health option prepares students to focus on the needs of
communities and sub-populations within a community.
It is expected that students will manage the health and illness status of patients, provide culturally
competent quality care, develop their professional role and negotiate the health care system. All of the
master's students complete their program with a capstone experience that includes a series of
professional seminars with leaders in the health care community and production of a publishable paper
(Standard III.D.2).
III-E The curriculum and teaching-learning practices consider the needs and expectations of the
identified community of interest.
The communities of interest for teaching learning practices include but are not limited to our very
diverse students on two campuses and our online virtual campus, educators, and health care agency
partners. The majority of students attending our programs must work full-time and have family
responsibilities. The generic students are primarily full-time students whereas most graduate
students study on a part-time basis. This wide array of teaching learning needs has necessitated the
College of Nursing to implement several strategies to accommodate the learning needs of this
diverse group of students.
The majority of courses offered by the College of Nursing are currently web-enhanced with teaching
platforms such as Blackboard or eCollege. These platforms supplement the classroom with power
point lectures, handouts, online exercises and communication tools to enhance the student's ability
to access course information and interact with faculty and other students. Additionally, the Student
Learning Resource Centers situated on each campus provide services such as the Writing Center,
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paid peer tutors for the junior year nursing courses in the baccalaureate program, and course support
for science courses. Students with English as a second language have the resources of The
Program in American Language Studies (PALS) which provides English language instruction to non-
native English speakers for academic, professional, business, and social/acculturation purposes. It strives
not only to foster students' language competency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, but also to
develop students' cultural understanding of the world at large, and the United States. Lastly, the faculty,
educators and health care agency partners are provided opportunities for continuing education from the
Rutgers College of Nursing’s Center for Professional Development.
The Baccalaureate Program. Students provide feedback on course evaluations throughout the
curriculum to ensure that content sequencing, overall program design and faculty teaching are
responsive to their needs. One example of this was the feedback provided about the grading of upper
division clinical courses. Student's expressed that assessment of their clinical performance was often
subjective and varied greatly between clinical instructors. The Associate Dean of Undergraduate
Education advised the faculty of their concerns. An Ad Hoc Committee was convened to review the
grading of clinical performance. As a result of this analysis, the Ad Hoc Committee recommended
that the clinical evaluation change to a pass/fail option, recommended objective changes in the
clinical evaluation tool and further recommended that the theory courses be combined with the
clinical courses resulting in a 6 credit course. The recommended changes were reviewed by the
Academic Affairs committee and brought to the full faculty for endorsement. The outcome was that
all upper division undergraduate nursing courses with a clinical experience are now combined into a
6 credit course with a pass/fail clinical option. This change was instituted in the fall 2009.
Another example of consideration of learning needs of our students is the two credit courses, Nursing
Care Provider I and II. These skills oriented lab courses currently have a 2:1 ratio where students
have 4 hours of class for two credits. Students have expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of
work associated with the credit allocation based on the content in the course. The Academic Affairs
committee will be reviewing these courses and will make recommendations based on their review
during the upcoming academic year.
In addition to student feedback, faculty members also provide assessments of the courses they teach
at course meetings and make recommendations to the course leaders. Most recommendations are
handled at the course level but if needed, the recommendations are forwarded to the Academic
Affairs Committee for their review. For example, the teaching of dosage and calculation to the
beginning students has been evaluated for effectiveness by the faculty. A recommendation was
made to move to an online program. eDose by METI. After careful review of the program, the Academic
Affairs Committee endorsed the use of the program. The program was implemented in the fall 2009.
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Student evaluations suggested that the program was effective but too costly. Based on these findings, a
new online program was investigated that met the learners’ needs but also considered cost. This new
program, ATI-Dosage Calculator, was used this summer with the accelerated students and will be
implemented for the upcoming fall 2010 semester.
Accelerated Second Degree Program. The accelerated second degree program was designed to
meet the growing demands of this cohort of students seeking to transition to a new career. In order
to meet their needs, the program was designed as a 14 month program and offers courses online, in-
class and blended courses. The summer courses are grouped together for three days a week,
leaving Mondays, Fridays and the week-end free for family and job responsibilities.
RN to BS/MS in Nursing. The RN to BS/MS in Nursing curriculum is intended to increase the number and
proportion of baccalaureate prepared nurses in the state. The online RN to BS/MS in Nursing program
was designed to meet the needs of students who are likely to be employed full-time and need a flexible
class schedule. Teaching-learning policies and practices are consistent with the University. Teaching-
learning practices are appropriate to the adult student population and build on prior learning. The College
is especially aware of the needs of adult learners with limited time and responded by offering the nursing
major online to improve the learning environment and access. To enhance the online learning experience,
many courses offer an optional hybrid approach. For those students so inclined, many faculty offer the
option to meet face to face a few times throughout the semester to enhance their learning experiences.
Faculty preceptors are an integral part of the teaching-learning in the clinical courses.
Master’ Program. The community of interest for the master's degree program includes students,
faculty, preceptors, community leaders, employers and alumni. Unlike the baccalaureate program,
most students in the Masters program attend school on a part-time basis. To meet the diverse
learning needs of our students, the masters program offers online, blended and on-campus courses.
The faculty recognizes that the challenge of online classes is to create a sense of community. To
meet the challenge of fostering a sense of community with online learning, faculty members are
encouraged to use numerous resources, such as weekly lectures, case studies and threaded
discussions and to offer optional face to face teaching learning activities. One example is the use of the
online tool Elluminate to provide synchronous audio and visual communication. Elluminate provides
documents and recorded training to support students. Students receive excellent support for the use of
online courses from the Newark Computing Services help desk and eCollege tutorials and help desk.
In an effort to evaluate the online courses, the College of Nursing formed an ad hoc faculty
committee known as the Web Committee in 2008. The committee created an online course review
survey and an online course review checklist for faculty developing or teaching undergraduate and
graduate online courses. Feedback from this survey was used to enhance the quality of the online
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teaching learning experience, to assure ease of navigation in courses, and promote a sense of
community among the online learners. The work of this committee can be found on the Blackboard
site for College of Nursing faculty.
In addition to the faculty, preceptors are an integral part of the teaching-learning practices in the
Master’s program. Preceptor selection is critical to high quality graduate education. Preceptors are
given a courtesy appointment as a Visiting Clinical Associate in the College of Nursing. Clinical
preceptor appointments recognize the appointees’ commitment to the graduate program, strengthen
collaboration between agencies and the College of Nursing, and assure a pool of qualified clinical faculty.
Students begin their first practicum course in the spring semester and attend a clinical practicum
orientation in December of the prior year. During this orientation, faculty presents their students with an
overview of the practicum experience for their selected specialization as well as the expectations for their
performance. Students develop clinical objectives at the beginning of the semester in collaboration with
and approved by the faculty member and preceptor based upon the course objectives. These objectives
reflect the roles of the advanced practice nurse and the course objectives. At the master’s levels, the
faculty is involved closely in the evaluation of student performance in the clinical placement and observes
each student at least once per term (more if there are issues to be resolved). There are opportunities for
faculty to meet with the preceptor and review the student’s progress and to answer any questions.
Students work with the faculty member and preceptor to identify specific clinical activities that will assist
the student to achieve their clinical objectives in the context of the course student learning outcomes.
Students are expected to interact with clients, family members, groups of clients and staff in assessment,
planning, intervention, and evaluation of advanced practice care. Students complete a number of
assignments during their precepted practicum. These assignments include daily logs and participation on
the course online discussion board. They may also include case studies and/or a paper for publication.
To provide consistent and comprehensive guidelines for faculty, preceptors, and students, the
Masters Committee developed a preceptor handbook that was approved by the graduate faculty. The
published handbook is provided to preceptors on appointment to the College of Nursing, and to
students and faculty. Because there is competition for preceptors from other programs, College of
Nursing master’s alumni who are practicing for a least one year as an advanced practice nurses are
approached about their willingness to serve in this role. Community leaders are also used in the
education of the Master’s students. In the last semester of practicum experience, professional
seminars are provided to students by advanced practice nurses and leaders in the health care
community.
III-F Individual student performance is evaluated by the faculty and reflects achievement of expected
56
individual student learning outcomes. Evaluation policies and procedures for individual student
learning performance are defined and consistently applied.
In both the baccalaureate and master's programs the course syllabi identify prerequisites, course
content, expected course learning objectives/outcomes, grading criteria, teaching learning methods, and
evaluation methods. During the 2009-2010 academic year, the Academic Affairs committee undertook
the task of identifying student learning outcomes (SLOs) to be added to all course syllabi in both the
baccalaureate and master's programs. All undergraduate nursing courses will have individual student
learning outcomes added to the course objectives for the fall 2010. The intent of the student learning
outcome is to provide the student with a clear identification of what they have learned and by what
mechanisms they have learned it. The student learning outcomes identify experiences that facilitate the
learning and contribute to the achievement of the mission and goals and expected program outcomes.
Faculty identified student learning outcomes that describe the knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes
that students can demonstrate at the end of the course and the method(s) of assessment used to
demonstrate the outcome such as course projects, performance on examinations, papers, presentations,
and/or threaded discussions. Each outcome is assessed by at least one direct measure; however, use of
multiple measures is encouraged. As part of the planning process, the faculty will evaluate the
achievement of the student learning outcomes for each class each semester and if needed a remedial
plan is to be developed. The results of this assessment will be reported annually to the Academic Affairs
Committee for the undergraduate program and to the Specialty Program Directors and the MS/DNP
Committee for review and action.
It is the belief that the development of student learning outcomes will encourage the faculty to dialogue
and design outcomes that are essential to student learning related to course objectives and will help the
student to articulate what they have learned. The intent will be to also do the same in the graduate
program following the same procedures as used for the undergraduate program. The faculty teaching
graduate courses will be drafting student learning outcomes during the upcoming academic year. The
target date for addition of the graduate student learning outcomes is for Fall, 2011.
Evaluating student outcomes can be done by single or multiple methods such as case presentations,
papers, threaded discussions, etc. Generally, students are provided with both formative and summative
evaluations throughout the semester. Grading rubrics are often used to ensure more objective grading in
papers, presentations, and posted threaded discussions. For objective testing, item and test analysis is
provided by Logic eXtension Resources (LXR) software that grades and analyses the exams. Faculty
can monitor the validity and reliability of their examinations and make grading decisions based on the
data provided. The College of Nursing employs the grading system that is consistent with the university
grading policies.
57
Baccalaureate Program. The undergraduate program uses a wide variety of strategies to evaluate
students in didactic and clinical/laboratory courses. In relation to upper division nursing courses, each
student is evaluated through the use of course and clinical competencies. The clinical component is
graded as pass /fail and the corresponding didactic component uses evaluation methods such as
quizzes, examinations, papers, presentations and/or class participation. The student’s final grade is
reflective of his or her ability to meet the stated clinical competencies at a satisfactory level by the end of
the clinical experience as well as the performance on the theory course requirements. In an effort to
provide immediate feedback on the progress of students in a course, many faculty post their grades on
Blackboard so that student's can easily ascertain their academic standing in the course and/or provide
mid-term warnings if course work is problematic due to academic performance or absence.
The clinical evaluation tool is provided to all students at the onset of any course that has a clinical
component (Standard III F.1, III F.2). The student has an opportunity during the formative and
summative evaluations to provide their own critical reflection of their clinical performance, decisions they
have made and interactions with peers, staff and patients. Clinical faculty members are advised to contact
the course leader in the event that a student performance falls below expectations. Any needed
remediation follows established practices starting with written or verbal explanations of the problem and
discussion with the student about possible ways to address the concerns noted. Remediation may
include but is not limited to academic support services provided by the University Learning Resource
Centers, referrals for remediation with the staff in the Nursing Learning Resource Centers or simulation
experiences. If unsatisfactory student performance continues, the faculty documents these behaviors and
meets with the student to discuss failure of the course. The student is assisted to understand failure
implications on progression and the option to initiate the grievance process.
The criteria for good academic standing are communicated in the College of Nursing catalog, which is
available online for students to access. Grades of D or F are not acceptable as passing. Students are
only allowed to withdraw or to fail a required science or nursing course once; a second failure or
withdrawal in the upper division nursing course results in academic dismissal. Lastly students must
maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 to remain in the program.
Standardized testing opportunities are provided for both the theory and clinical courses using an online
resource, Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI’s) Comprehensive Assessment and Review Program
(CARP) formally marketed as MedsPub. It is a focused remediation resource for our students to utilize in
the upper division nursing courses. The program addresses diverse learning styles and provides students
with a self assessment of their grasp of the content covered in the nursing course and provides the
student with experience with standardized testing. Remediation materials and resources are available to
58
the student during the course. In 2008, the Academic Affairs Committee addressed the performance of
our students on the 2007 NCLEX-RN examination and determined the need for more standardized testing
experiences in the program. The committee reviewed several standardized test vendors on the market
and decided to use the MEDSPUB (now marketed as ATI) program. After much debate the committee,
recommended the use of such a program as a resource for students. The faculty endorsed the use of this
program but clearly did not want any standardized exam as a course requirement. Based on this
decision, students are required to take the standardized final exam at the end of each upper division
nursing course however performance on these standardized tests are not factored into their final grade
for the course. Health Education Systems, Inc (HESI) Exit exams are given to all seniors during the last
semester of the senior year. Details about the use of this exit examination can be found in Standard IV.
RN to BS/MS in Nursing Program. Grading policies and criteria for online courses are no different than
for on-campus courses. Rubrics have been adopted by most faculty members to assist the student in
understanding the expectations related to assignments such as papers, PowerPoint™ presentations,
group participation and/or threaded discussions. These rubrics give information on how student work will
be graded by the faculty member. In the clinical courses, students are evaluated by the preceptor and
the faculty. The student receives both verbal and written feedback according to established criterion on
the evaluation tool by the preceptor. The faculty makes site visits throughout the semester. The faculty
provides the clinical evaluation tools and guidance in their use to the preceptor who directly oversees
their experience.
Masters Program. Master’s students are evaluated on how well they have met the course outcomes
and/or competencies in both theory and practicum courses. Theory courses have a variety of evaluation
methods, including examinations, papers, case studies, and participation on discussion boards or
threaded discussions. In each course, students are provided with specific grading criteria for papers and
the points and/or percentage of the grade for each assignment. An evaluation tool is available for online
discussions that focus on contribution, expression, promptness, and relevance of the post. The grades
are in concert with the University’s grading policy. The practicums each have a relevant set of
competencies matched to the practicum course objectives. All objectives and competencies are
evaluated by preceptors at mid-semester for guidance and at semester end for evaluation in coordination
with the course instructor. The preceptor provides daily feedback and practical evaluation of the
student’s skills, especially as they relate to specialization standards and guidelines.
Evaluation tools also include a preceptor self-evaluation, student evaluation of the preceptor and the
clinical agency, and an APN practicum record. Evaluation data are compiled each semester to be
reviewed by the Academic Affairs and Masters Committee). Issues are discussed with resolutions made
as needed. After review by the appropriate committee and faculty, evaluations from the students, faculty,
59
and preceptors are sent to the Administrative Assistant for the Graduate Program and to the Office of
Student Affairs to be filed in the student files. A preceptor data base has recently been reviewed and
revised so that faculty and specialty directors may have easy access to a comprehensive data base.
The policy document which outlines the grievance policy related to student grades is online at http://catalogs.rutgers.edu/generated/nwk-ug_0305/pg1775.html. III-G Curriculum and teaching learning practices are evaluated at regularly scheduled intervals to foster
ongoing improvement.
The College of Nursing supports program evaluation for the purpose of continuous quality improvement.
The College of Nursing's comprehensive outcomes-based evaluation process is central to its planning
and decision-making processes and is crucial to its ongoing improving efforts. The quality improvement
process is a problem solving approach that focuses on question-asking, information gathering, group
collaboration and analysis, decision-making, and implementation of changes. The College of Nursing
curriculum evaluation plan details the process for evaluating the curriculum and teaching-learning
practices. Evaluation of the curriculum and teaching learning practices are reviewed on an annual basis.
The University is firmly committed to internal and external evaluations of its academic programs. The
University's Office of Institutional Research and Academic Planning (OIARP) and the Center for Teaching
and Academic Research (CTAAR) provide college specific data gathered from their surveys of the
graduates of the College, which complements the data gathered from the College of Nursing's exit
surveys of graduates, alumni surveys, and employers of Rutgers graduates.
Student Evaluations of Courses. The Student Instructional Rating Survey (SIRS) is a University-wide
survey of students for their comments about their experiences in the classroom. The results are used by
the individual instructors and the College for the assessment and improvement of teaching and in the
appointment and promotion of faculty. The College of Nursing elected to transition to the online survey
two years ago. All faculty members have access to the summary statistics from the student surveys at
http://sirs.rutgers.edu. The Student Instructional Rating Survey is designed so that one survey will be
used for each instructor (Standard III.G.1). Online students using Blackboard access the online SIRS
evaluation. Online students using the eCollege platform are asked to respond to the online evaluation
constructed for that system. Course evaluations are accessible to the faculty and copies are downloaded
and distributed to the Associate Deans for review and action, if needed. Students, who use preceptors,
also submit written evaluations of their practicums and preceptors which are reviewed by the appropriate
specialty directors or deans.
60
Baccalaureate Program. Assessment data from both the internal and external community of interest
are considered in the formulation of course and faculty assignments, faculty recruitment and hiring, as
well as creating an environment conducive to learning. The annual review of teaching- learning
practices includes assessment data obtained in final course meetings by course leaders each semester
which focus on the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process and clinical agency evaluations,
which form the basis for revisions of the courses. Faculty members teaching clinical courses are required
to hold exit evaluation conferences with the service agency staff at the conclusion of each clinical
course to discuss the strengths and areas needing improvement. The Associate Dean for the
Undergraduate Education or a designated representative reviews these clinical evaluations for appropriate
action and periodically meets with service agency staff to discuss professional nursing needs. ]
Faculty Evaluations. After the completion of each semester faculty receive an aggregate, anonymous
compilation of student completed course evaluations for each course taught. The evaluations are
considered in yearly reviews by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education to assist in determining
faculty performance in the area of teaching. In addition, a summary of the course evaluations are
submitted to the Academic Affairs Committee for analysis for ongoing program improvement and
achievement of program outcomes. The summary is provided so that comments related to individual
faculty are not shared in the Academic Affairs Committee meeting. If a problem or concern is identified
the Chair of Academic Affairs may ask the responsible faculty member for his or her response to the
course evaluation findings as well as anticipated steps to improve the course. All evaluations are
standardized and used by all faculty members.
With the implementation of student learning outcomes on all undergraduate nursing syllabi in the fall
2010, the proposed plan is to ask each faculty member to review the student learning outcomes on a
yearly basis and to provide a summary of the review to the Academic Standings Committee for review
and action, if needed. The goal is to better connect course outcomes and activities with the level
competencies and program outcomes. Improved collection of aggregate student performance data may
also be helpful in contributing to on-going program improvement analysis by the Academic Affairs
Committee. In the future, the Academic Affairs Committee can use these evaluations to track curriculum
drift, use of teaching-learning strategies, and successes and failures.
Students and faculty also evaluate clinical sites. These data are used to assist in determining excellent as
well as poor clinical placement sites. The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and course
leaders communicate with the appropriate administrators of the clinical sites and refer to the data in their
discussions. As a result of the use of this data, some sites are retained, some are improved, and if
appropriate some are eliminated for use by our students. To foster continual improvements, curriculum
61
and teaching learning practices for both traditional and online format courses are evaluated in the same
manner.
Master’s Program. The master’s program, like the baccalaureate program, uses the course and faculty
evaluation forms provided by the University and those provided by eCollege. The aggregate compilation
of the evaluation is given to the faculty and the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. The results are
used for faculty development and course revision as needed and for faculty appointment and promotion.
The master’s program is also evaluated by outside reviewers, including the Pediatric Nursing Certification
Board and the Report Compliance with the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs
(National Task Force, 2008). The College of Nursing was recently certified by the Pediatric Nursing
Certification Board. As a result of the report relative to compliance, the CON made some significant
recent changes. All nurse practitioner programs now have nationally certified faculty Specialty Directors
in their population focused areas, including FNP, ANP/GNP, Acute Care ANP, WHNP, and PNP tracks.
The role of the Specialty Directors will be to: 1) ensure the overall quality of their respective advanced
practice tracks based on standards and guidelines: 2) ensure that the program Specialty meets the
requirements for State of New Jersey certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse and the national
certification examinations; 3) manage the admission policies and procedures for the Specialty area and
make final decisions on admissions; 4) ensure that each student admitted has the opportunity for a
quality education with appropriate support from faculty and preceptors; 5) are responsible for the clinical
placements for all students in the Specialty; and 6) maintain contact with the graduates of the Specialty to
ensure ongoing support for the Rutgers program, their participation as potential future preceptors, and
potential for being active alumna (Appendix B.II.3 Specialty Director Job Description).
Additional faculty members have also been hired with FNP certification. The nurse practitioner role and
population focus is now recorded on student transcripts. All of the clinical components are taught by
certified faculty and preceptors in the specific population focus. Currently, the Masters Committee made
up of specialty faculty, evaluates the curriculum for revision and action by the graduate faculty. The
evaluation plan going forward is for the Specialty Directors to assess the course and practicum
evaluations relative to the standards and guidelines of the specialty organizations. These findings will be
presented to the specialty faculty, preceptors, Masters/DNP and the graduate faculty for discussion and
action (Standard III.G.3).
Summary
In summary, the BS and MS curricula have been developed in accordance with the mission,
goals, and expected study outcomes of both Rutgers University and the College of Nursing. All
relevant professional nursing standards are used in the formulation of student learning
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outcomes and curriculum content. Potential employers are invited to provide input to the
curriculum content. Our environment for teaching and learning is positive and fosters student
learning.
Strengths
• A dedicated faculty committed to the highest standards of teaching nursing science and practice.
• An environment within the College, the University, and health care facilities committed to the highest standards available to enable teaching/learning.
• Forward thinking curricula incorporating some of the latest science and technologic, in areas such as informatics and genetics,
• A commitment to science for evidence-based practice. • Clinical facilities and strong partnerships; collaborative relationships developed and
maintained over many years, particularly for the baccalaureate program. • College of Nursing response to community need by developing an online RN to BS/MS
program. • Simulation is used as a teaching/learning strategy throughout the undergraduate
curriculum; faculty have received training in the use of high fidelity simulators. • Baccalaureate and master’s curriculum is comprehensive and based on professional,
national standards and guidelines.
Challenges and Plan of Action
We need to develop enhanced strategies to detect curriculum drift in the undergraduate
program and empower the faculty committees to address this issue of individual faculty altering
curriculum learning objectives, student learning outcomes, and clinical experiences.
We are seeking financial support to expand our simulation laboratory on the Newark campus
through grant writing and foundation support.
We continue to monitor closely performance on the NCLEX-RN examination and seek
appropriate remediation activities as required through faculty committees and sharing test score
results.
We are moving to revise course objectives and student learning outcomes to better
communicate learning outcomes to graduate students through the enhancing of the role of
Specialty Directors.
We continue to monitor graduate student performance on certification examinations through
sharing data with faculty and Specialty Directors.
We are working to enhance and integrate more fully the use of simulation technology into the
graduate program.
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Standard IV: Program Effectiveness: Aggregate Student Performance and Faculty Accomplishments
The program is effective in fulfilling its mission, goals and expected aggregate student and faculty outcomes. Actual aggregate student outcomes are consistent with the mission, goals and expected student outcomes. Actual alumni satisfaction data and the accomplishments of graduates of the program attest to the effectiveness of the program. Actual aggregate faculty outcomes are consistent with the mission, goals, and expected faculty outcomes. Data on program effectiveness are used to foster ongoing program improvement.
IV-A. Surveys and other data sources are used to collect information about student, alumni, and
employer satisfaction and demonstrated achievements of graduates. Collected data include, but
are not limited to graduation rates, NCLEX-RN pass rates, certification pass rates and
employment rates, as appropriate.
Rutgers College of Nursing collects data for use in evaluating students, graduates, alumni and employers’
satisfaction. Overall student performance and achievement of program outcomes include but are not
limited to: NCLEX-RN pass rates, master’s specialty certification pass rates; and retention and graduation
rates. Surveys of student and employer satisfaction are also analyzed in the evaluation process. This
year a Director of Research and Evaluation was hired to update and establish processes to collect data
on faculty, preceptors, students, and alumni. He will transition our data collection from paper to online
data systems, analyze the trends presented by the data, and provide the findings to the respective
academic deans, specialty directors and faculty for review and action. Students in all programs complete
summative faculty and course evaluations for both in class and online courses. (See discussion in
Standard III G).
Program Effectiveness: Baccalaureate graduates complete an exit survey prior to graduation. The exit
survey consists of questions addressing employment plans, educational plans, and an evaluation of their
respective programs. The evaluation of the undergraduate program portion is extensive, asking questions
about the achievement of program outcomes, students' perceived value of the program and outcomes,
the evaluation of the role components of the curriculum, and an evaluation of student services and
student life. Graduates of the baccalaureate program reported on the exit survey that they met the
program outcomes and were well prepared for the care provider, professional, and management roles
(Standards IV.4, IV.5). Graduates from baccalaureate program were satisfied with their preparation for
their first nursing position. Further they felt prepared to be successful in their professional role and would
recommend the program to others (Standard IV.A.6, IV.A.7). Student evaluations used in the
undergraduate and master's program can be found at (Standard IV.A.1-3).
64
Master's graduates complete the Master's Exit Survey that queries demographics, enrollment specifics,
plans for certification, and evaluation of the program in meeting professional and personal goals.
Questions are included about the adequacy of preparation received for clinical practice, application of
theoretical knowledge, application of research, collaboration with other health care providers, leadership,
and foundation for doctoral study. Other questions focus on the adequacy of support services during their
educational experience. Results indicate satisfaction with the program and achievement of the program
goals. (Standard IV.A.8). One area of recurrent concern has been the process of obtaining appropriate
preceptors. In an effort to address these concerns, a preceptor data base has been updated. Each
Specialty Director and their faculty will have access to this data base so that preceptor appointments and
students’ placements can be made in a timely manner. Alumni complete The Graduate Program Alumni
Survey. The results have shown overall satisfaction with preparation for their first position and that they
would recommend the program to others (Standard IV.A.10). Based upon the recent graduate survey,
one area where we feel we can improve our support for students is in the area of academic advising and
we are working on that now.
In recent years employers have increasingly not responded to surveys about individual undergraduate
and graduate employees. For the baccalaureate program, a faculty member volunteered to take the
surveys and personally meet with a sample of nurse educators at some of the affiliated health care
agencies where we commonly place students. The results can be seen at (Standard IV.A.11).
Furthermore, both the baccalaureate and master’s graduates should have been surveyed one year
after graduation. However due to organizational changes and turnover of the Associate Dean of
Student Affairs position, the yearly follow-up survey data was not collected since 2006. In effort to
rectify this lapse of data collection, the surveys forms were updated and sent to all graduates,
beginning with the year 2007. Going forward, this data will now be collected every year. Data are
being gathered about their current career activities, educational plans, and overall perception of how
well the College of Nursing prepared them for their professional career. Further, the decision as to
how often alumni surveys should be completed will be reviewed by the Office of Research and
Evaluation and the Office of Student Services in the upcoming academic year.
IV-B Aggregate student outcome data are analyzed and compared with expected outcomes.
Aggregate data analysis of graduates’ progression through the nursing program indicates that students
do successfully complete the undergraduate and graduate programs within five years, and that effective
steps are taken to address issues and problems that may arise. Analyses of course, program and
student performance and satisfaction are done annually by the course faculty, students, the Academic
Affairs Committee, the MS committee and respective program deans (Masters completion table,
Baccalaureate completion table). Individual student performance is carefully evaluated in every practicum
65
course. These evaluations are used as indicators that students are meeting course objectives and the
appropriate level competencies, and provide a record of student progression in the program.
Baccalaureate Program. Baccalaureate students have a maximum of seven years from first
matriculation to graduation with the exception of the Accelerated Program for Second Degree students.
In the undergraduate program, 100% of the Class of 2009 cohort graduated within five years. Ninety
percent of the students graduated in four years, that is, without interruption in the semester by semester
progress through the planned program of study (Table 8). Five (N=5) of the out of progression students
were admitted in 2004 to Newark and took one extra year to graduate due to academic failure of core
courses. There were 149 BS graduates in the class of 2010.
The College of Nursing is committed to student evaluation of performance on program outcome
measures as well. Students are surveyed throughout the program using course evaluations to obtain their
perspective on whether they think that they are successfully meeting program objectives. The results of
course evaluations are forwarded to the Academic Affairs Committee for the each semester. The results
are compiled and analyzed to identify issues requiring action of faculty. It should be noted that aggregate
outcomes of student performance in didactic courses are not formally analyzed by the Academic Affairs
Committee. Trends in grades awarded in each course are tracked and trended over time and these data
have served as the basis for course grading policies and action by the faculty.
After completing Table 8, we realized that we were conducting a retrospective look at time to graduation,
not following a cohort of students from time of admission. We are planning to adopt a prospective view of
each cohort and track them over time and we hope to have an example of that data for the site reviewers.
Table 8. Completion rates for undergraduate BS students by year from matriculation through year of graduation (n=118) Year Matriculated 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Completed
in 5 years BS New Brunswick 0 6 (10%) 34 (56%) 21 (34%) 0 61 (100%)
BS Newark 0 3 (6%) 25 (49%) 18 (35%) 5 (10%) 51 (100%) ACL (accelerated BS) 6 (100%) 1 (17%) 0 0 0 6 (100%)
Totals of Class of 118 6 (5%) 10 (8%) 59 (50%) 39 (33%) 5 (4%) 118 (100%) Table 8 presents the relationship between year of matriculation and year of graduation. Based upon one
year of graduation data, the table demonstrates in 2009, Rutgers College of Nursing awarded 118 BS
degrees in nursing. Fifty percent of the graduating class of 2009 entered in 2006 as transfer students and
completed their degree in a three year period. Thirty-three percent (n=21 from New Brunswick and N=18
from Newark; 39/118) of the graduating class of 2009 entered in 2005 and completed their degree after
four years; 4% completed their degree after five years. These delays are most often due to academic
66
failure of courses where the students are required to repeat at least one course. Six percent (n=7) of the
2009 graduating class members were accelerated students; six (admitted 2008) completed their program
in the 14 months time period and one student (admitted 2007) was delayed one year. There are no
meaningful differences in time to graduation between the Newark and New Brunswick cohorts. Overall,
none of the 118 graduates took more than 5 years to complete their BS nursing degree.
Master’s Program. Students in the master’s program have a maximum of five consecutive years from
time of matriculation to graduation. As shown in Table 9, the five year graduation rates of each specialty
range from 85.7% to 100% with the exception of Community Health, which only had three students (Table
9). In the Master’s Program, individual student performance is assessed by student, faculty, and
preceptor evaluations. Student, Faculty, and Preceptor Handbooks. Certification rates also provide data
indicating successful attainment of program outcomes and competencies as an advanced practice nurse.
Currently the specialty faculty, the MS committee, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Education are
responsible for reviewing the data and making recommendations to the graduate faculty for discussion
and action. Beginning academic year 2010-2011, the newly appointed Specialty Directors will review
certification rates and the aggregated data to determine the cohort’s overall achievement in meeting the
course outcomes, student progress towards meeting the program outcomes, and certification rates. The
Specialty Directors along with the MS Committee will present their findings to the faculty and make
recommendations for further action based on their analyses.
Table 9 represents the relationship between year of matriculation and year of graduation for the Master’s
students (n=142) who graduated in spring 2010. (We note again that this is a retrospective analysis and
we are making plans to conduct a prospective analysis tracking drop outs, etc.)
In 2010, Rutgers College of Nursing graduated 142 nurses with Master’s degrees. 94% of the graduates
completed their Master’s degree within a five year time frame. ANP Adult had the most graduates in this
cohort (27%) followed by ANP Family at 23% and then APN Acute Care (17%).
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Table 9. Graduation rates for MS programs by years from matriculation for spring 2010 (N=142)
Cohort Year
Completion time frame
APN Acute Care
APN Adult
ANP BS-PhD
ANP Women’s Health
ANP Comm. Health
ANP Family
ANP Peds
ANP Psych/ MH
2008 2 years (n=21)
4/ 16.7%
5/ 12.8%
0/ 0%
1/ 8.3%
0/ 0%
9/ 28.1%
0/ 0%
2/14.3%
2007 3 years (n=49)
8/ 33.3%
12/ 30.8%
1/ 100%
2/ 16.7%
1/ 33.3%
12/ 37.5%
8/ 44.4%
5/ 35.7%
2006 4 years (n=42)
5/ 20.8%
13/ 33.3%
0/ 0%
6/ 50.0%
0/ 0%
8/ 25.0%
7/ 38.9%
3/ 21.4%
2005 5 years (n=20)
5/ 20.8%
5/ 12.8%
0/ 0%
3/ 25.0%
1/ 33.3%
3/ 9.4%
1/ 5.6%
2/ 4.3%
5 years
to finish
N=132 (94%)
22/
91.6%
35/
89.7%
1/
100%
12/
100%
2/
66.6%
32/
100%
16/
88.9%
12/
85.7%
2004 6 years (n=7)
0/ 0%
3/ 7.7%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
2/ 11.1%
2/ 14.3%
2003 7 years (n=2)
2/ 8.3%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
2001 9 years (n=2)
0/ 0%
1/ 2.6%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
1/ 33.3%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
0/ 0%
Totals N = 142 (100%)
N=24 17%
N= 39 27%
N=1 <1%
N=12 8%
N=1 <1%
N=32 23%
N=14 (10%)
IV-C Aggregate student outcome data provide evidence of the program’s effectiveness in achieving its
mission; goals and expected outcomes
NCLEX-RN and Certification Pass Rates. Performance data for each cohort of BS in nursing graduates
are collected for first time test takers and overall pass rates on the NCLEX-RN licensure examination
(Table 10). The class of 2007 demonstrated a pass rate of 78 percent. This unusually low pass rate
initiated a concerted effort to find the reasons for the decline. An Ad Hoc Committee was convened to
conduct exhaustive reviews of admission, progression and retention policies, student profiles, and the
curriculum. Based on these reviews, several recommendations regarding admissions, progression and
retention policies were implemented. The dean and the faculty reaffirmed a commitment to maintaining a
quality program. Admission guidelines were reviewed and admission criteria were strengthened.
Students have been provided the opportunity to take standardized examinations, using the MedsPub
program throughout their junior and senior year to assess their strengths and deficiencies.
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Table 10. Rutgers College of Nursing, Newark - NCLEX-RN Pass Rates - First time test takers for the
last three years and normative data– Program Code 18564
Year Total number of students Passed Failed Percent Passed 2009*** 127 109 18 85.83% 2008** 110 97 13 88.18% 2007* 147 114 33 77.55%
Source: New Jersey Office of the Attorney General Letters Dated: *February 20, 2008; **February 24, 2009, ***March 15, 2010 Normative data for 1st time test taking passing NCLEX-RN for the last three years
Year Rutgers Students Jurisdiction Similar Programs National 2009 89% 91% 90% 89% 2008 92% 90% 88% 87% 2007 78% 87% 86% 85%
Source: NCLEX-RN Reports, April to September 2007; April to September 2008; April to September 2009 Table 10 presents data for the pass rates for NCLEX-RN first-time test takers for the years 2007, 2008,
and 2009. During this three-year period for which we have data, there has been improvement from the
78% pass rate in 2007 in the subsequent two years to pass rates that are similar to or exceed the
jurisdiction, similar nursing programs, as well as the national average pass rates.
To address the issue of low pass rates in 2007, students are now required to take the standardized final
examinations in each of the nursing subject areas. Performance on these mandated exams were not
calculated in the course final grade but rather were used for formative assessments. During the senior
year, the faculty- led Nursing Review course was reviewed and revised to better meet the needs of the
students. Further all senior nursing students were required to take a standardized exit exam, the HESI
exam. The HESI exam was first utilized in our program in 2006. The faculty decided to hold up the
graduation of students who did not achieve the required score. Those students held up were provided
additional remediation and tests. Additional efforts were directed toward decreasing the use of part- time
lecturers in major nursing theory courses. Efforts in decreasing grade inflation in the theory courses were
implemented and a concerted effort at enhancing teacher-made tests has resulted in an improvement of
student performance on the licensing examination. All of these efforts have resulted in improvement of
student performance on the NCLEX-RN examination and provided the impetus to change the policy
whereby students were held up from graduation.
For the graduating class of May 2009, the faculty endorsed the decision not to hold up students from
graduation if they did not achieve an acceptable score on the HESI as determined by the faculty.
Students who did not achieve an acceptable score on the HESI were allowed to graduate but their names
were not released to the Board of Nursing until they attended a six week review course The Class of 2010
was the second class using this approach. This decision was based on the literature that indicated that
repeated testing using the HESI did not predict NCLEX-RN success.
69
Lastly, aggregate data from the NCLEX-RN and HESI Exit Exams are reviewed for strengths and
weaknesses in the curriculum by faculty committees.
Performance data on each specialty cohort of Master’s graduates are collected relative to pass rates on
advanced practice certification examinations (Tables 11 and 12). Despite getting reports from the
certifying bodies, it is unclear as to whether the number of students taking certification is accurate.
Nonetheless, the College uses this information to guide our assessment of program strengths and
weaknesses. Certification pass rates for the reported FNP and Acute Care specialties exceed the overall
ANCC passing rate. Certification rates for Women’s Health Practitioner graduates are also excellent.
The Adult Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification rates vary by cohort. In 2009,
the Adult Nurse Practitioner passing rate for students reporting dipped below the overall ANCC passing
rate and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner passing rates also fell below national benchmarks Table 12).
Table 11. Data on pass rates for MS specialty certification examinations
ANCC Nurse Practitioner Program Aggregate Pass Rates By Specialty Specialty N % Passed ANCC Overall
Pass Rate Failures
Pediatric NP 2009 2008 2007
* * *
N/A N/A N/A
N/A N/A N/A
Adult NP 2009 2008 2007
4 4 7
75% 0% 100%
87.5% 85.31% 87.16%
1
Family NP 2009 2008 2007
6 5 4
100% 80% 100%
93.07% 93.08% 93.34%
1
Acute Care NP 2009 2008 2007
3 6 *
100% 100% N/A
91.50% 92.15% N/A
Adult Psych. and MH NP 2009 2008 2007
0 5 *
N/A 80% N/A
N/A 78.79% N/A
1
Family Psych. and MH NP 2009 2008 2007
0 5 0
N/A 80% N/A
N/A 80.57% N/A
1
Gerontological NP 2009 2008 2007
0 0 *
N/A N/A N/A
N/A N/A N/A
*=ANCC report indicates that the number of candidates was too small for reporting purposes
70
RUCON Table 12 Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) - Rutgers College of Nursing Advanced Practice in Pediatric Nursing
Exam Year
#Test takers
# Passing 1st
Test
% Passing 1st
Test
2010 2009 2008
1 3 6
1 2 4
100%
67.67% 67.67%
Source: PNCB Program Report 3/16/2010
Table 11 presents data for the available pass rates for ANCC Nurse Practitioner examinations by
programs for the years 2007, 2008, and 2009. During this three year period for which we have data, 49
graduates took the examinations with an overall pass rate of 91.8% (n=45) with 4 failures (8.2%).
Overall, this pass rate is not meaningfully different than the national average of pass rates for the
examinations. Table 12 presents similar data for the Pediatric Nursing Certification examination.
We note that the numbers of student reported in Tables 11 and 12 may not reflect the accurate number of
students taking the exam at different times. Although analysis is limited, the program can look at trends to
make recommendations and changes. In the past, the specialty faculty reviewed the certification results
and presented recommendations to the MS Committee and the graduate faculty for review and action.
The plan going forward is to formalize a comprehensive process whereby the Dean will forward the
reports to the Specialty Directors and their faculty for review and analysis. Recommendations will be
made to the MS committee and the faculty for their review and action.
Employment Rates. The data on job placement/employment status of baccalaureate and master’s
graduates are obtained each year on the Exit Survey that is completed prior to graduation. The data
suggests that the majority of graduates are employed in New Jersey, although a few secure positions in
New York, Florida, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Since 2007 the number of baccalaureate graduates who
secure a job before graduation has gradually decreased. We currently have little information about the
positions that our graduates have taken upon graduation. We are developing systems now to track first
position of our MS graduates.
IV.D. Aggregate student outcome data are used, as appropriate, to foster ongoing program improvement.
Analyses and monitoring of student outcome data related to student satisfaction and competencies are
done at the course and program levels. Aggregate data are compared with prior years trend data, and
with selected established benchmarks and when available state and national norms. In the undergraduate
program the Academic Affairs Committee and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education review
aggregate outcomes against expected outcomes. Students are tracked in both programs by progression
71
sheets which contain courses taken and grades received.
Undergraduate students are tracked on other criteria such as grade point averages, scores on the HESI
exit exam and passage on the NCLEX-RN. In the graduate program students are also tracked by
specialty for outcome data. Currently, the MS committee and the graduate faculty review the curriculum
based on the Report of the National Task Force on Quality Nurse Practitioner Education. Examples
include analysis of the Advanced Health Assessment Course in 2008. Based on content, changes were
recommended to the MS committee to change the credit allocation for the course from a three credit
course to a four credit course. After careful review and consideration the graduate faculty voted to leave
the credit allocation unchanged because there was a lack of sufficient content proposed to warrant the
proposed allocation of additional credits. Further, an ad hoc faculty Task Force was appointed to review
the MS curriculum in light of certification requirements and movement toward a post-baccalaureate DNP.
IV-E Aggregate faculty outcomes are consistent with and contribute to achievement of the program’s
mission, goals and expected student outcomes.
Faculty Accomplishments: The accomplishments of the faculty of the Rutgers College of Nursing reflect
the tripartite mission embraced by the College and our larger University community: teaching, research /
scholarship, and service. Updated CVs submitted each year by faculty provide specific details of their
scholarly and service activities. Moreover, the activities of our faculty consistently support the University’s
mission of producing cutting-edge research. In the past 3 academic years (2007-2009) our distinguished
faculty published 83 refereed articles, presented 95 papers and posters at scholarly conferences,
contributed 7 book chapters, wrote 7 books, served on 94 journal peer review panels, and received 30
awards, and served as Principal Investigators on 14-17 grants each year. As indicated in Table 13, over
45% of our faculty consistently engages in scholarly publications and presentations. As of July 2010, a
total of 6 of our faculty are Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing.
72
Table 13. Faculty productivity for 2007, 2008, and 2009
As reflected in Figure 1, the proportion of our faculty who obtain research funding increased last year. By
the end of AY 2009-2010, a total of 33.3% of faculty were Principal Investigators on funded grants. The
number of faculty presentations is likewise on the rise, with approximately 47% of faculty conducting
paper or poster presentations at scholarly conferences in 2009-2010.
AY 2007
AY 2008
AY 2009
Total #
N=31
%
Total #
N=32
%
Total #
N=30
%
PI Grant s
14 grants / 7 faculty
22.5%
16 grants/ 7 faculty
22%
17 grants/ 10 faculty
3 3.3%
Referred Pubs
24 pubs / 14 faculty
45.0%
21 pubs / 14 faculty
44%
38 pubs/ 14
faculty
46.7%
Papers/Posters
27 pres/
12 faculty
39.0%
27 pres / 10 faculty
31.3%
41 pres / 14
faculty
46.7%
Book Chapters
3 chapters/
2 faculty
6.45%
1 chapter / 1 faculty
3.1%
3 chapters/
2 faculty
6.7%
Books
1 book/ 1 faculty
3.2%
2 books/ 2
faculty
6.3%
4 books/ 4 faculty
13.3%
Journal Peer Review Panels
28 panels/ 12 faculty
39.0%
29panels/ 11 faculty
34.4%
37 panels/ 10 faculty
33.3%
Journal Editors
1 journal/
1 faculty editors
3.2%
2 journals /
2 faculty editors
6.3%
1 journals/ 1 faculty editor
3.3%
Assoc Officers
2 faculty
6.4%
2 faculty
6.3%
4 faculty
13.3%
Awards
10 awards/
8 faculty
25.8%
11 awards /
7 faculty
22%
9 awards/ 7 faculty
26.7%
FAAN
4
13.0%
4
12.5%
5
16.7%
73
Figure 1. Faculty accomplishments in research and scholarship: Summary of key trends
Although the scholarship accomplishments of the faculty are impressive, the faculty to continue to strive
toward excellence and opportunities to increase research activities are being pursued. One goal is the
development of two or more new research centers to stimulate scholarly collaboration among faculty and
students.
One such center currently exists. The New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing (NJCCN) is a
research and development center, created by State legislation, located within Rutgers College of Nursing,
staffed by College faculty and personnel, and dedicated to providing evidence-based policy
recommendations to State decision makers concerning the nursing workforce. In keeping with the mission
of research and service, the Center produces multiple data-based reports and publications each year,
which are available on its website (www.njccn.org) including reports to the Governor, an evaluation of the
educational capacity of the State to produce nurses at all levels of education, and supply/ demand
information. Providing data generating, data warehousing, and policy generating functions regarding the
State’s nursing workforce, the NJCCN serves as the College’s first Center of Excellence.
Yet, to further enhance and support faculty scholarship and research, the development of additional
Centers of Excellence are planned for 2010 – 2011. In summary, the activities of our faculty support the
tripartite mission of Rutgers University and the College of Nursing, including the generation of cutting-
edge research. Although almost half of the faculty are engaged in publications and scholarship, the
College is constantly in pursuit of research excellence. Therefore, the College plans to develop at least
two new Centers of Excellence in the coming year.
74
IV-F Information from complaints is used, as appropriate, to foster ongoing program improvement.
Any complaints received by the College are seriously considered and appropriate action in regards to
changing policy or revising curricular decisions are determined if needed. No major complaints have been
received from students, preceptors, or employers about the undergraduate or graduate program in the
past three years.
Complaints about individual students received from the institutions that support our student experiences
are considered carefully and if necessary, appropriate actions taken. Individual grade grievances by
baccalaureate students are handled according the Grade Grievance Policy which is monitored by the
Student Life Committee. Rutgers University and the College of Nursing are committed to fostering an
intellectual and ethical environment based on the principles of academic integrity. In both the
baccalaureate and master’s program the academic integrity policy adopted in 2008. The Academic
Integrity Policy guides the actions of the faculty and administrators. In the undergraduate program there
were two reported breaches of academic integrity in the past three years. In the graduate program there
were two breaches of academic integrity (Standard IV.F.4-Summary of AI Outcomes) .
The mechanisms for handling complaints regarding the master’s program are similar to those in place for
the undergraduate program. Community-generated complaints that may originate due to a course matter
can often be resolved between the faculty and the community member. If no resolution is met, or the
complaint is not associated with a course matter, the complaint is referred to the Associate Dean for
Graduate Education for consideration and action. If no resolution is achieved, the matter is referred to the
Graduate School Dean. Beginning fall 2010-2011 the matter will be referred for final resolution to the
Dean of the College of Nursing. Historically, individual grade grievances by students are handled
according the Grade Grievance Policy which was monitored by the Graduate School Newark. With the
transition of the Master’s program and the DNP Program from the Graduate School-Newark to the
College of Nursing, the grade grievance process will be reviewed and recommendations made during the
upcoming academic year. The Rutgers Graduate School has determined that the MS and DNP degree in
nursing are clinical, professional degrees and their full control belongs within the professional schools, not
the graduate school.
Summary and Strengths:
This data provides evidence that the program is fulfilling its mission. Aggregate student outcomes as
measured by NCLEX-RN performance and alumni satisfaction are good. Students are attending their
various programs with different types of part-time/full time combinations, yet almost all are completing the
75
programs in an appropriate amount of time. Performance on national certification examinations is in line
with national standards. Faculty productivity is good.
Areas for improvement/challenges:
• Improve our evaluation systems, systematic reporting, prospective analyses of admission
cohorts, and provide this data in a timelier manner to faculty committees for review and action.
• Continue to monitor the contribution of extra standardized testing such as HESI to the success
rates of undergraduate students on the NCLEX-RN examination.
• Develop detailed mentorship program for faculty to assist with their development of their
programs of research and/or clinical scholarship.
• Increase the success rates on extramural NIH-type research grants in order to provide resources
for faculty to be successful in their promotion.
Summary of Self-Study Experience
The Rutgers College of Nursing baccalaureate and Masters programs are situated within a supportive
environment that is interdisciplinary; open to collaboration in teaching, service, and research; and
respectful of the work of the College of Nursing. We have an excellent library system, superb
instructional technology support, and excellent physical facilities. Faculty and staff have experienced a
year of significant transition, change, and uncertainty with budget cuts, salary freezes, and a new Dean.
Some of our accomplishments in this first year of the Holzemer deanship include:
1) Reexamination of the vision and mission of the College and their relationship to our academic
programs;
2) Focus on the quality of the undergraduate program through limiting enrollment to 100 graduates
per year, expanding the role of Course Coordinators to ensure quality, consistency, and
excellence in the academic program, and exploring new linkages with our clinical agencies;
3) Focus on quality of the MS program through expanding enrollment to ensure sufficient number of
students in each specialty and the development of the Specialty Director role with direct
responsibilities in enhancing quality, currency, and student and employer satisfaction;
4) Rebuilding an Office of Contracts and Grants to assist faculty so that they can be successful in
their career as a tenured faculty member;
5) Establishment of the Office of Research & Evaluation to provide technical support for faculty on
data collection, reporting, and interpretation.
6) Recruiting new faculty to the College, ensuring that we have qualified faculty directing each MS
Specialty program; and,
76
7) Developing new faculty workload document that shares with everyone faculty responsibilities and
provides a strategy to ensure that the assigned workload allows faculty time to be successful in
either their clinical or tenure-track faculty role.
Areas of concern that we are now focusing upon are the following:
1) Prepare for the 2011 October site visit for the DNP programs;
2) Establish “systems” in place for many of the administrative processes within the College of
Nursing, including, but not limited to faculty data bases, web site, admission and matriculation
data, course enrollment, and others;
3) Enhance the quality of the work environment by continuing our workshops on the topic of
workplace civility and building a quality work environment; and,
4) Expand our Centers of Excellence that are designed to have three overall objectives: 1)
opportunities for student service learning; 2) opportunities for faculty practices and nurses and
APNs; and 3) opportunities for collaborative research with our community partners.
77
Appendix A
78
Supporting Documentation for the Report to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education College of Nursing, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey
2010 STANDARD I: PROGRAM QUALITY:
I.1. Mission, goals, and expected student and faculty outcomes I.1.1 Mission, goals I.1.2. Expected Student Outcomes
I.1.2.a. Baccalaureate Program Individual Student Learning Outcomes I.1.2.b. Graduate Curriculum Survey Tool
I.1.3. Expected Faculty Outcomes
I.2. Copies of all professional nursing standards and guidelines
I.2.1. The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 2008)
I.2.2. The Essentials of Master's Education for Advanced Practice Nursing (AACN, 1996)
I.2.3. Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs (NTF, 2008)
I.2.4. The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006)
I.2.5. American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards 1.2.6.a. National Organization Of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NOPF) Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Competencies in Specialty Areas 2002 1.2.6.b. National Organization Of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NOPF) Domains And Core Competencies Of Nurse Practitioner Practice 2006 1.2.7. National Organization Of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NOPF) Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP Competencies 1.2.8. National Panel of Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Competencies 2004 1.2.9. Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Competencies 2003 I.3. Appointment, promotion, and tenure policies or other documentation defining faculty expectations I.3.1. Faculty Bylaws revised last 2006 I.3.2. 2009_2010_faculty affairs - ByLawsRecommendations.doc 1.3.3. 2009_2010_faculty_affairs_ annual_report\WorkloadPolicyDRAFT310.doc 1.3.4. Proposed Faculty Governance Restructuring_5_2010 1.3.5. College of Nursing Faculty Retreat 0410.doc 1.3.6. University Policies for Promotion
1.3.6.1. http://nursing.rutgers.edu/professional_development/policies 1.3.6.2. http://nursing.rutgers.edu/professional_development/summary
I.4. Major Institutional and nursing-unit reports and records for the past 3 years, such as strategic planning documents and annual reports. 1.4.1. Faculty Affairs
1.4.1.1 2009_2010_Faculty affairs_ Summary_report 1.4.1.2 2008_2009_Faculty affairs_ Summary_report 1.4.1.3 2007_2008_Faculty affairs_ Summary_report 1.4.1.4. 2009_2010_Faculty_affairs_ Proposed Faculty Governance Restructuring 510.doc
1.4.2. Academic Affairs
1.4.2.1. Academic Affairs Summary 2009-2010 1.4.2.2. Academic Affairs Summary 2008-2009 - missing summary 1.4.2.3. Academic Affairs Summary 2007-2008
79
1.4.3. Student Life Committee 1.4.3.1. Student life Committee Summary Report May 2010 1.4.3.2. Student life Committee Summary Report May 2009 1.4.3.3. Student life Committee summary 2008 missing
1.4.4. Research Committee
1.4.4.1. Student life Committee Summary Report May 2010 1.4.4.2. Student life Committee summary Report 2009 missing 1.4.4.3. Student life Committee summary Report 2008 missing
1.4.5 Learning Laboratory Annual Report 1.4.5.1. Learning Laboratory Annual Report 2009-2010 1.4.5.2. Learning Laboratory Annual Report 2008-2009 1.4.5.3. Learning Laboratory Annual Report 2007-2008
1.4.6. Chancellor Report missing 1.4.7. Evaluation Planning for the Rutgers College of Nursing 1.4.8. University wide Statistical Reports 1.4.9. Middle states report 2008 1.5. Documentation that the program has afforded the community of interest the opportunity to submit written third-party comments to CCNE, in accordance with accreditation procedures.
1.5.1. http://nursing.rutgers.edu/hot_news/participate_in_the_ccne_visit 1.6 Reports submitted to and official correspondence received from applicable accrediting and regulating agencies since the last accreditation review of the nursing program.
1.6.1. PDNC Certification 2007-2010 1.6.2. BS to DNP Approval Letter 1.6.3. CCNE Report on Compliance with the criteria for evaluation of NP programs (2008)
1.7. Catalogs, student handbooks, faculty handbooks, personnel manuals, or equivalent information including among other things, academic calendar, recruitment and admission policies, grading policies, and degree completion requirements
1.7.1. http://nursing.rutgers.edu/prospective_students/academic_programs BS in Nursing BS in Nursing for Transfer Students BS in Nursing for Second Degree Students RN-BS/MS in Nursing School Nurse Certificate Master's Degree Program Master's Degree Program Post-Masters Certificate Program
1.7.2. Student handbook/Policies and Procedures 1.7.2.1. Personnel manuals 1.7.2.2. Academic calendar 1.7.2.3. Recruitment policies 1.7.2.4. Admission policies 1.7.2.5. Grading policies 1.7.2.6. Degree completion requirements
1.7.3. Faculty handbook (2006 needs updates) 1.8 A copy of the institution's policies on transfer of credit, including the criteria used to determine whether credit will be awarded and evidence that the policies are publicly disclosed.
1.81 http://nursing.rutgers.edu/prospective_students 1.9 If applicable, a description of the processes through which the institution verifies that the student who registers in a distance education course is the same student who participates in and completes the course and receives academic credit.
80
Need this - includes use of student ID and secure access? Needs much more. if there is such a process 1.10 Program advertising and promotional materials directed at prospective students
• Scarlet Nursing Newsletter Fall 2008.pdf • Scarlet Nursing Newsletter Fall 2009.pdf • Scarlet Nursing Newsletter Spring 2009.pdf • Scarlet Nursing Newsletter Spring 2010.pdf • Rutgers Nursing Newsletter Winter 2010 • Rutgers Nursing Newsletter Summer 2010.pdf
1.11. Documents that reflect decision making (e.g. minutes, memoranda, reports)
1.11.1 Faculty Meeting Minutes
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008
1.11.2. Faculty Standing Committee_Membership.doc
1.11.2.1. Faculty Affairs Committee Minutes
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008 1.11.2.2. Academic Affairs Committee Minutes
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008 1.11.2.3. Student Life Committee Minutes
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008
1.11.2.4. Research Committee Minutes
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008
1.11.2.5 Student Senate
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008
1.11.2.6 MS Committee Minutes
81
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008
1.11.2.7. Graduate Faculty Committee Minutes
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008
1.11.2.8. Undergraduate Course Committee Minutes
Academic year 2009-2010
1.11.2.9. Executive Advisory Committee Minutes
09-10_exec_advisory
1.11.2.10. Deans & Directors Committee Minutes
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008
1.11.3. A & P Committee minutes 1.11.4. First level Review Committee Documents 1.11.4.1. A & P Committee\First level review Committee survey_08 [revise].PDF 1.11.4.2 A & P Committee\First level review Commmittee standing_committee_1st_lvl_review_08-09.PDF 1.11.5. University Senate
1.11.5.1. Newark Faculty Council Minutes
Academic year 2009-2010 Academic year 2008-2009 Academic year 2007-2008
1.11.6. Ad-Hoc Committee Meetings
1.11.6.1. Plan for NCLEX Success
1.11.6.2. Clinical Evaluation Task Force Summary Notes 4/13/09
1.11.6.3. Clinical Evaluation Task Force Summary Notes 4/20/09 1.11.6.4. Clinical Evaluation Task Force Summary Notes 12/09
1.12. Program policies related to formal complaints
1.12.1. Harrassment and Discrimination policies 1.12.2. Student-complaints-about-grades policies
82
Supporting Documentation for the Report to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
College of Nursing, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey 2010
STANDARD II: PROGRAM QUALITY INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT AND RESOURCES
II.1. Nursing unit budget for the current and previous two years II.2. Name, title, educational degrees with areas of specialization, certification, relevant work experience, and teaching responsibilities of each faculty member and administrative office associated with the nursing unit.
II.2.1. Table (X) reflecting this Profiles of faculty by numbers, preparation, experience
II.3. Curricula vitae of the Chief nurse administrator and faculty II.4. Policies regarding preceptor selection and evaluation and documentation of qualifications
II.4.1. Preceptor Handbook - Faculty[1].pdf II.4.2 Preceptor Handbook - Preceptors[1].pdf II.4.3 Preceptor Handbook - Students[2].pdf
II.5. Current collective bargaining agreement II.5.1. FT_Agreement_2007-2011.pdf II.5.2. Memorandom of Understanding 2009.pdf II.5.3. Letter of Agreement_2009.pdf II.6. Policies regarding workload or teaching assignments, if applicable
II.6.1. 2009_2010_faculty affairs_ annual_report\WorkloadPolicyDRAFT310.doc II.7. Documents that reflect decision making (e.g. minutes, memoranda, reports)
II.7.1 See Standard I.11.
• Table XX. Comparison of state budget to Support RCON • Table XXX. Extramural funding for FY 2007-2010 • Table XXXX. 2007-2010 research proposals and grant awards
83
Supporting Documentation for the Report to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
College of Nursing, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey 2010
STANDARD III: CURRICULUM, TEACHING-LEARNING PRACTICES, AND INDIVIDUAL STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES. III.1. Course syllabi and information links III.1.1. Modal Curriculum BS in Nursing III.1.2. BS in Nursing for Transfer Students III.1.3. BS in Nursing for Second Degree Students III.1.4. Modal Curriculum RN-BS/MS in Nursing III.1.5. Modal Curriculum School Nurse Certificate Master's Degree Program III.1.6. Master's Degree Program
o Acute Care of the Adult and Aged o Advanced Practice in Pediatric Nursing o Advanced Practice in Women's Health o Community Health Nursing o Dual degree MS in Community Health and MPH Nursing o Family Nurse Practitioner o Mental Health Nursing o Minor in Nursing Education o Oncology (Adult and/or Pediatric) Nursing o Primary Care of the Adult and Aged
III.1.7. Post-Masters Certificate Program (See III.1.6 for syllabi)
• Acute Care of the Adult and Aged • Advanced Practice in Pediatrics • Advanced Practice in Women's Health • Community Health Nursing • Family Nurse Practitioner • Primary Care of the Adult and Aged • Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing • Minor in Nursing Education • Oncology Nursing
III.2. Examples of student work III.2.1 Undergraduate Exemplars III.2.2. Graduate Exemplars III.2.3. Aktan article.pdf
III.3. Student performance evaluations III.4.a. Graduate Program Current affiliations agreements with institutions at which student instruction occurs III.4.b. Undergraduate Program Current affiliations agreements with institutions at which student instruction occurs
84
III.5. Student and faculty evaluations of clinical sites (Graduate form only) III.6. Course/faculty evaluations III.7. Documents the reflect decision-making
III.7.1 Course Meetings 2009-2010 III.7.2 See Standard I.11.
85
Supporting Documentation for the Report to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
College of Nursing, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey 2010
STANDARD IV: PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS AGGREGATE STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IV.1. Aggregate student outcomes data
• IV.1.a. Student satisfaction data o IV.a.1. Student satisfaction with courses and teachers as measured by course and faculty
evaluations o IV.a.2. New graduate satisfaction with overall program
• IV.1.b. Alumni satisfaction data o IV.1.b.1. Table (X). Alumni assessment of program quality o IV.1.b.2. Preceptor Handbook - Preceptors o IV.1.b.3. Preceptor Handbook – Students o IV.1.b.4. Preceptor Handbook – Faculty
• IV.1.c. Employer satisfaction data o IV.1.c.1. Employer Satisfaction Summary Table
• IV.1.d. Graduation rates for each program
o IV.1.d.1. Graduation rates for all MS students by years from matriculation o IV.1.d.2. Graduation rates for all BSN, RN-BSN students by years from matriculation
• IV.1.e. NCLEX-RN pass rates o IV.1.e.1. Percent of first time and overall NCLEX-RN pass rates
• IV.1.f. Certification examination pass rates by specialty o IV.1.f.1. Percent of first time pass rates on ANCC advanced practice certification exams o IV.1.f.2. Percent of first time pass rates for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• IV.1.g. Employment rates for each program o IV.1.g.1. Table 4.4 Random sample of 50% of 2007, 2008 graduates employed in
Nursing
IV.2. Faculty Outcomes IV.2.1. Summary of Aggregate faculty outcomes for the past 3 years
IV.2.1.a. Year to year differences in faculty proportions engaged in scholarly activity IV.2.1.b. Table IV.(XXX). Grants on which RCON faculty members were PIs or PDs in 2009-2010. Year to year differences?
IV.2.2. Aggregate faculty outcomes' relationship with expected outcomes IV.3. Record of formal complaints for the past 3 years and actions taken to foster program improvement IV.4. Documents the reflect decision-making IV.4.1. See Standard I.11. IV.5. Examples of use of aggregate data to foster program improvement when indicated.
86
Appendix B
87
STANDARD I.B
College of Nursing Evaluation
Component Being Assessed
Source of Information
Group/Person Responsible for the Assessment
Process
Frequency of Assessment
Distribution & Use of Res
he mission and oals of the rogram are congruent with ose of the parent stitution and are
onsistent with the rofessional nursing andards and guidelines.
University Mission and Goals College of Nursing Mission and Goals
Faculty Every 3-5 years or as necessary
To students To full faculty for revision as appropriate
he mission nd goals of the rogram reflect professional andards and guidelines
Mission & Philosophy Professional Standards and Guidelines
Course Faculty Annually To full faculty for revision as appropriate.
Recommendations made for fac action.
ocuments and ublications accurately flect the mission
nd goals of the rogram.
CON Catalog Course Syllabi CON Web Site CON Brochures
Deans & Directors Faculty
Web site: Quarterly Syllabi: Annually Catalog: Biannually Brochures: As Needed
Budget and Planning Relevant Committees & Individu Revision of Marketing Plan
oles of the faculty and udents in the governance the program are clearly efined.
Faculty By-laws Student By-laws
Deans & Directors Faculty Faculty Affairs
Committee Students Affairs
Committee
Annually Student Associations Faculty, Deans & Directors for revision as needed.
Component Being Assessed Source of Information
Group/Person Responsible for
the Assessment Process
Frequency of Assessment Distri
Faculty teaching, scholarship, service and practice is in keeping with the mission and philosophy of the program.
Teaching Evaluations Faculty Survey
Associate Deans Specialty Directors First Level of Review Committee
Annually Preside
Chancel Faculty CON pu bulletin
88
nent Being ssed
Source of Information
Group/Person Responsible for the Assessment
Process
Frequency of Assessment
Distribution & Use of Results
eate program he foundation of
ces and s
Course Syllabi College Course Catalogs
Academic Affairs Annually Academic Affairs recommends revisions for action to full faculty
Resources are sufficient to enable the program to fulfill its mission, philosophy and goals/objectives. Academic support services are improved and upgraded on a regular basis to meet program needs.
Budget Deans & Directors
Meetings Dean's Assessment Director of Development Deans & Directors
Meetings Dean's Advisory
Committee
Business Manager Deans & Directors Faculty representatives Administrators
Annually End of each semester Annually
Dean's Annual Develop Dean Deans Budget
Program outcomes and competencies are clearly stated and derived from the CON mission, and goals and program purposes.
College of Nursing Mission and Goals Course Syllabi Clinical Evaluation
Tools
Academic Affairs MS Committee Associate Dean for BS & MS Programs
Annually To full f Gradua Special Recom action.
Achievement of program outcomes of baccalaureate and master's programs.
Clinical Evaluation Tools
NCLEX-RN results MS Certification Exam
Results HESI exam results Alumni and Employer Surveys
Academic Affairs MS Committee Specialty Directors Faculty Review Student Course Evaluations.
Annually Academ recomm revision Faculty recomm
89
rogram builds on etencies of
eate graduates
Baccalaureate Course Syllabi & Course Objectives Master's Course Syllabi & Course Objectives
MS Committee Academic Affairs
Annually Specialty Directors To graduate faculty
that the design is with the mission
Program Outcomes Course syllabi Course objectives Learning experiences
Faculty Academic Affairs MS Committee Specialty Directors
Annually Full Faculty Graduate faculty for revisions as Necessary
erformance is by the faculty and
hievement of results.
nd other data o collect
n about student, mployer
n and ated ents of graduates
vidence of ffectiveness
Grade distributions Competencies demonstrated on evaluation tools Surveys
Specialty Directors Associate Dean for BS and MS Program Office of Student Affairs
End of each semester Annually Exit Surveys: January, June & October Annually
1 and 3 year follow-up of BS graduates 1 and 3 year follow-up of MS graduates
Faculty Graduate faculty in each specialty & total Faculty and Graduate Faculty Reports to Dean
90
Group/Person
Component Being Source of Information Responsible for Frequency of Distribution & Use of Results Assessed
the Assessment Assessment
Process
Faculty accomplishments in teaching, scholarship, practice and service demonstrate program effectiveness and reflect the process of ongoing improvement.
Progression and Graduation Rates Job Placement and Employment Status
Publications and Grants for Extramural Funding
Associate Deans First Level Review Committee
Annually Faculty accomplishments on CON web site and publications
Student satisfaction/formal complaints are reviewed as a part of the process of ongoing improvement
Student verbal and written complaints
Student Affairs Committee Grade Grievance Committee Associate Deans
Monthly As need arises
Faculty and students as appropriate Involved parties on grade Grievances
91
Appendix B.II.1 RUTGERS COLLEGE OF NURSING
FACULTY
Academic Year - 2010-2011 Professor Clinical Professor Linda Flynn, PhD, RN, FAAN* Edna Cadmus, PhD, RN William Holzemer, PhD, RN, FAAN
Lucille Joel, EdD, RN, FAAN Noreen Mahon, PhD, RN, FAAN Shirley Smoyak, EdD, RN, FAAN Adela Yarcheski, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Professor Clinical Associate Professor Claudia Beckmann, PhD, RN Barbara Cannella, PhD, RN Lucille Eller, PhD, RN Ganga Mahat, EdD, RN Rachel Jones, PhD, RN, FAAN Marlene Rankin, PhD, RN Elise Lev, EdD, RN Mary Ann Scoloveno, EdD, RN Charlotte Thomas-Hawkins, PhD, RN Assistant Professor Clinical Assistant Professor Cynthia Ayres, PhD, RN Judith Barberio, PhD, RN Felesia Bowen , DNSc , RN Mary Johansen, PhD, RN Ann Brandes, EdD, RN Candice Knight, PhD, EdD, RN Karen D’Alonzo, PhD, RN Helen Miley, PhD, RN** Deanna Gray-Miceli, PhD, RN, FAANP Edmund Pajarillo, PhD, RN Teri Lindgren, PhD, RN Eileen Scarinci, DNP, RN Melissa Scollan-Koliopoulos, EdD, RN Jeanne Ruggiero, PhD, RN Dean Wantland, PhD, RN I nstructor Clinical Instructor Jane Levine, MS, RD*** Helena Correia, MSN, RN Diane Gillooly, MSN, RN Laurie Karmel, MSN, RN Joanne Korba, MSN. RN Doreen MacNish, MSN, RN Annette Minors, MS, RN
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Henry Soehnlein, MSN, RN Patricia Thomas, MS, RN *Rank pending **Employed 50% ***Employed 25% Professors and Associate Professors hold tenure
93
RUTGERS COLLEGE OF NURSING
PART TIME LECTURERS +
Academic Year 2010-2011
Kathy Abel, MS, RN Carmen Arroyo, MS, RN Rachel Behrendt, DNP, RN Denise Bowers, MSN, RN Joyce Bulger-Noto, MPH, RN
Barbara Burton, MSN, RN Regina Ciambrone, MSN, RN Kathleen Connolly, MSN, RN Kathy Demarsico, MSN, RN
Olga Emerson, MS, RN Eleanita Enriquez, MSN, RN
Claire Faust, MSN, RN Mary Beth Finn, MS, RN Mary Ann Foley-Mayer, PhD, RN
Patricia Gellasch, MSN, RN Joanne Goldstein, MS, RN
Maria Hummer, MS, RN Shanda Johnson, MS, RN
Beverly Karlik, MS, RN Diane Kemper, MSN, RN Theresa Lord-Stout, MS, RN Kari Mastro, MS, RN
Catherine Monetti, MS, RN Lori Mulligan, MSN, RN Agnisha Muzeau, MS, RN
Patricia Paradiso, MSN, RN Debra Peneiras, MS, RN
Tracy Perron, MSN, RN Janine Pezzino, MS, RN
Lori Pineda, MSN, RN Sung Poblete, PhD, RN
Theresa Pohle, MSN, RN Kathleen Prendergast, MSN, RN
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Christa Preuster, MS, RN Katherine Prihoda, MSN, RN
Cheryl Saffer, MSN, RN Tracie Saunders, MS, RN
Ray Scarpa, DNP, RN Robert Scoloveno, MS, RN
Angela Shenkerman, MSN, RN Sherry Stein, MSN, RN Kristen Veneziale, MS, RN Joan Valas, PhD, RN Melissa Walker, MS, RN Donna Weeks, DNP, RN Mona Williams, MS, RN Lisa Wydra, MS, RN 25 August 2010
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Specialty Directors Job Description (DRAFT 3/7/10; Revised by Deans & Directors 3/10/10) Each Advanced Practice Nurse specialty area offered by the College of Nursing will have a director to ensure the quality of the program. Currently, this position includes a blend of responsibilities for the MS and DNP programs, but in fall, 2011, all new students will matriculate only into the DNP degree program. The names and number of Specialties may change over time and will be used in part to advertise to prospective students and faculty about the areas of expertise within the College of Nursing. As of March, 2010, we propose the following eight Specialties:
1) Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Helen Myley 2) Adult Nurse Practitioner Judy Barbario 3) Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Deana Gray-Miscelli 4) Family Nurse Practitioner Melissa Scollan-Koliopoulos 5) Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Felissa Bowen 6) Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Claudia Beckman 7) Psychiatric/Mental Health Advanced Practice Nurse Candice Knight 8) Community Health Advanced Practice Nurse Teri Lindgren 9) Nurse Leadership Advanced Practice Nurse (opening Fall, 2011) Edna Cadmus
We expect that each specialty will admit each Fall semester at least 6 students per year, maintaining an overall cohort of a minimum of 18 students over the three years of the DNP curriculum. Each Specialty will set a specific target for admissions that is based upon the number of students currently enrolled, faculty, and clinical capacity. The responsibilities of the Specialty Directors include:
1) Ensures the overall quality of the Advanced Practice specialty area. 2) Ensures that the program Specialty meets the requirements for State of New Jersey certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse and the
national certification examinations. 3) Maintains their own national certification as appropriate. 4) Ensures that the program meets the Essentials of DNP education as articulated by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and
the National League for Nursing. 5) Manages the admission policies and procedures for the Specialty area and makes final decisions on admissions. 6) Recommends faculty teaching assignments in the Specialty area to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. 7) Assigns faculty advisors and may do all the advising themselves depending upon the size of the cohort of students. 8) Represents the College of Nursing at the respective national specialty organizations. 9) Ensures that each student admitted has the opportunity for a quality education with appropriate support from faculty and preceptors. 10) Is responsible for the clinical placements for all students in the Specialty. 11) Celebrates with the students and faculty their successes and provides support during times of challenge. 12) Maintains contact with the graduates of the Specialty to ensure ongoing support for the Rutgers program, their participation as potential
future preceptors, and potential for being active alumna. The work load of each Specialty Director will be adjusted in consultation with the Dean of the College depending upon the scope of the program, number of faculty in the area, and numbers of students.
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Undergraduate Course Coordinator Job Description (DRAFT July 2, 2010) We are proposing to expand the role of Undergraduate Course Coordinator role in the College of Nursing. Each Course Coordinator will have the following responsibilities:
1) Ensures the overall quality of the course. 2) Ensures that the course content meets all licensure and certification requirements. 3) Maintains their own national certification as appropriate. 4) Ensures that the program meets the Essentials of Baccalaureate Education as articulated by the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing and the National League for Nursing. 5) Ensures that appropriate learning outcomes are articulated for the course. 6) Develops and publicizes a list of all skills taught in relationship to the course. 7) Works with the simulation staff to ensure proper use of the simulation equipment. 8) Coordinates faculty needs including PTLS for the course by monitoring enrollments, out of cycle students. 9) Interviews and recommends for appointment PTLs associated with the course. 10) Recommends faculty teaching assignments to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. 11) Assigns faculty advisors and may do all the advising themselves depending upon the size of the cohort of students in consultation with the
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. 12) Is responsible for the psychometric properties of all evaluation instruments used in the course. 13) Reviews all student evaluation of course and faculty and makes recommendations for change based upon this information. 14) Ensures that there is equity of expectations and opportunities for students across clinicals. 15) Ensures that each student admitted has the opportunity for a quality education with appropriate support from faculty, preceptors, and part-
time lecturers 16) Is responsible for the clinical placements for all students in the course. 17) Celebrates with the students and faculty their successes and provides support during times of challenge. 18) Encourages the best students to consider matriculating in the graduate programs at Rutgers University. 19) Most often provides the theory lectures for the course. 20) Maintains own scholarship
COURSES COURSE LEADERS Trends in Health Care Delivery Nursing Care Provider I Nursing Care Provider II Health & Illness of Children & Adolescents Health & Illness of Adults Health & Illness of Older Adults The Childbearing Family Health Assessment Across the Life Span Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
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Community Health Nursing Pharmacotherapeutics Research Process in Nursing Leadership & Management in Nursing
98
Baccalaureate Program Individual Student Learning Outcomes and Clinical Teaching-Learning Practices & Environments-Exemplars Course Student
Learning Outcome Exemplar
Didactic Teaching-Learning Practices
Assessment Measure
Clinical Teaching Learning Practices
On Campus Simulation
Off-Campus Clinical Sites
Online
705:101 Academic & Prof Development
Discussion
Not Applicable Not Applicable
120:245 Pathophysiology
Lecture/Discussion
Not Applicable Not Applicable
705:223 Trends in Health Care Delivery
Lecture/Discussion
Not Applicable Not Applicable
705:229 Life Span
Demonstrate understanding of developmental theories and identify biophysical, cognitive and psychosocial developmental process
Lecture/Discussion
Denver Developmental Assessment
Not Applicable
705:233 Human Interactive Processes
Apply and evaluate therapeutic communication techniques and analyze factors affecting communication with a client experiencing a stressful life situation
Lecture/Discussion Role Playing Process Recording
Complete one taped interview and submit process recording from a portion of the interview Analyzing factors affecting communication and evaluating therapeutic communication techniques.
Not Applicable Not Applicable
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705:202 Cultural Dimensions
Demonstrate understanding of cultural phenomena and beliefs of a particular cultural group
Lecture/Discussion Group work
Group cultural assessment paper and class presentation
Not Applicable Not Applicable
705:306 Health Assessment
Lecture/Discussion Computer-based instruction Videos
Perform a complete health assessment on an adult in the learning laboratory.
Laboratory sessions
Simulation case based scenarios
100
705:307 Nursing Care Provider I
Demonstrate clinical reasoning and safety related to medication administration.
Lecture/Discussion Computer-based instruction Videos
Demonstrate competency of medication administration in a simulated learning laboratory.
Laboratory sessions
Simulation case based scenarios
705:310 The Childbearing Family
Apply clinical reasoning skills in caring for childbearing families
Lecture/Discussion Virtual Clinical Excursion
Clinical Reasoning Paper to plan care for one client in a maternal-child health care setting. The plan of care will be evaluated using a rubric.
Clinical Practice Clinical Seminars Simulated Recall Clinical Reasoning Tool
Simulation case based scenarios
Beth Israel St. Peters Univ. Hospital RWJUH Overlook Monmouth Medical Center
705:390 Research Process in Nursing
Evaluate a systematic review, specifically an integrative review of the literature on a topic relevant to nursing.
Lecture/Discussion
Critiquing a published nursing research integrative review article.
Not Applicable Not Applicable
705:395 Pharmacotherapeutics
Apply knowledge of pharmacotherapeutics to safely administer medications in the clinical setting.
Lecture/Discussion
Theoretical knowledge will be tested through quizzes and examinations.
Not Applicable Not Applicable
705:314 Health and Illness of Children & Adolescents
Evaluate research findings as they pertain to evidence-based practice.
Lecture/Discussion Virtual Clinical Excursion
Present an evidence-based practice project which examines the current research on a select practice guideline. The
Clinical Practice Clinical Seminars Simulated Recall Clinical Reasoning Tool
Simulation case based scenarios
Children’s Specialized RWJUH St. Peters Univ. Hospital Beth Israel Hospital Morristown
101
project will be evaluated using a rubric.
Memorial
705:320 Health and Illness of Adults
Identify and perform specific nursing interventions appropriate to nursing diagnosis in the care of the adult.
Lecture/Discussion
Classroom unit examinations Care Plans Evaluation in Clinical and Simulated patient care settings using the clinical evaluation tool
Clinical Practice Clinical Seminars Simulated Recall Clinical Reasoning Tool
Simulation case based scenarios
RWJUH Centra State St. Peters Univ. Hospital UMDNJ St. Josephs
705:322 Nursing Care Provider II
Demonstrate knowledge and skills in providing care in a simulated setting.
Lecture/Discussion Computer-based instruction Videos
Demonstrate competency in specific skills in a simulated learning laboratory.
Laboratory Sessions
Simulation case based scenarios
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705:409 Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
Demonstrate competent generalist psychiatric assessment skills with emphasis on mental status examination.
Lecture/Discussion
Complete two psychiatric assessments on psychiatric clients and be evaluated by assessment guidelines.
Clinical Practice Clinical Seminars Simulated Recall Clinical Reasoning Tool
Not Applicable
Summit Oaks UMDNJ Behavioral Health Overlook Ashbrook Bergen Regional
705:415 Health and Illness of Older Adults
Demonstrate an understanding of an ethical dilemma and the nursing responsibilities during the observation of the dilemma.
Lecture/Discussion
Case study with description and analysis of an ethical dilemma encountered in providing care of the older adult.
Clinical Practice Clinical Seminars Simulated Recall Clinical Reasoning Tool
Simulation case based scenarios
Regency Health Care CentraState RWJUH
705:444 Community Health Nursing
Apply strategies from nursing and public health in assessing the health of a community
Lecture/Discussion
Perform an evidence-based community assessment; The assessment will be evaluated using a rubric.
Clinical Practice Clinical Seminars Simulated Recall Clinical Reasoning Tool
Not Applicable
Central Jersey VNA Somerset Hills VNA Community VNA
705:498 Leadership & Management
Synthesize and apply knowledge, theories and research related to leadership power, decision making, motivation and change to the management of
Lecture/Discussion Simulated Recall
Participate in classroom discussions. Evaluation on written exams.
Clinical Practice Clinical Seminars Clinical Reasoning Tool
Not Applicable
RWJUH St. Peters Univ. Hospital UMDNJ Valley Hospital
103
health care in organizational environments.
705:490 Nursing Informatics
Demonstrate knowledge related to how healthcare information systems and electronic health care records can be used to support evidence based practice for patient care.
Written paper identifying gaps between research and practice in their area of interest and propose solutions using information technology.
Not Applicable Not Applicable
Threaded Discussions Elluminate
104
705:490 Teaching in Health Education
Demonstrate theoretical knowledge related to the teaching process in health education.
Paper identifying which models and/or framework for health education and health promotion would be most useful.
Not Applicable Not Applicable
Threaded Discussions
705:448 Community and Public Health Nursing
Lecture/Discussion
Not Applicable Not Applicable
Threaded Discussions
705:448 Promoting Community Health
Apply clinical reasoning skills in planning, implementing and evaluating community health education programs
Lecture/Discussion
Presentation addressing a community problem identified in the community assessment.
Clinical Practice Clinical Seminars Simulated Recall Clinical Reasoning Tool
Not Applicable
705:449 Professional Role Development
Lecture/Discussion
Post threaded discussions which are evidence-based and demonstrate logical reasoning and analytical skills.
Not Applicable Not Applicable
Threaded Discussions
105
MS Program Outcomes Congruency with Individual Student Learning Outcomes MS Program Outcomes Exemplars of Individual Student Learning Outcomes (Course
Outcomes) 1. Integrate knowledge from nursing and related
disciplines as the basis for advanced nursing practice with diverse populations
3 705:538 Pharmacodynamics (Spring 2010): “ 2. Select pharmacologic agents based on diagnosis, patient profile, and current standards of nursing practice.”
120:547 Advanced Pathophysiology (Fall 2009): “2. Differentiate normal and abnormal physiological findings and clinical manifestations.”
705:510 Theoretical Foundations in Nursing (Fall 2009): Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to: “3. Identify and analyze concepts relevant to advanced practice nursing that are used for theory development.”
2. Manage independently and collaboratively, the health care problems of clients in a variety of settings.
705:517 Human Behavior Practicum II (Fall 2009): “3. Consult and collaborate with other health professionals in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of advanced mental health interventions with clients with acute and crisis mental (APMI) and their families.” 705:522 Adult Nursing I Practicum (Spring 2010) “5. Manage the acute and primary care of young adults, adult, and elderly clients within current acceptable practice guidelines.”
3. Apply ethical analyses and clinical reasoning in advanced nursing care delivery to diverse populations
705:515 Human Behavior I (Spring 2010): “5. Examine ethical and moral challenges as they relate to issues of persons with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness.” 705:540 Primary Care of Adults and Aged II “3. Examine ethical and moral challenges as they relate to gender issues.”
4. Use research findings to provide high quality health care, initiate change, and improve advanced nursing practice.
705:528 Care of the Childbearing Woman (Fall 2009): “2. Evaluate theory and research-based care management of women and families experiencing normal adaptations and pathologic alterations during the childbearing period. 705:529 Primary Care of Women III “2. Use current research findings to provide advanced nursing care in women’s health promotion.”
5. Design and provide quality, safe, cost-effective care 705:630 Advanced Practice Acute Care Practicum II (Summer
106
for clinical or community based populations and health care systems.
2009): “4. Evaluate efficacy, effectiveness, and cost in providing care to critically ill patients in a variety of settings.”
705: 552 Family Systems Theory in Mental Health (Summer 2009): “1. Synthesize science-based theories as the basis for assessing, developing psychodynamic formulations and intervening in the mental health needs of high-risk families. “
705:550 Health Promotion Design Practicum (Summer 2009 ):
“5.Manage the design, implementation and evaluation of health promotion programs and services of populations, aggregates, and individuals/families in the community.
6. Provide culturally competent care.
705:504 Human Diversity and Social Issues in Community Health (Summer 2010). “4. Evaluate the influence of human diversity on values, beliefs, attitudes and practices, and their relationship to culturally competent care.” 705:520 Advanced Health Assessment (Fall, 2009): At the end of this course the student will be able to: “3. Select the assessment procedures taking into account the life circumstances and cultural, ethnic, gender, and developmental variations of the client.”
107
7. Participate in regulatory, legislative, and professional
policy to promote healthy communities.
705:504 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (Spring 2010) “1. Identify the impact of health care policy, the organization and financing of health care on advanced nursing practice.” 705: 526 Advanced Practice in Pediatrics I (Spring 2010): “6. Evaluate health policies and the implications that influence access to care of acutely ill and healthy children and adolescents.”
8. Synthesize knowledge from information sciences, health communication and literacy to provide advance practice care to culturally diverse populations.
705:535 Community Health II Practicum (Fall 2009): “4. Incorporate and evaluate innovative strategies that include the use of current technologies, patient classification systems and other technology in the design, implementation and evaluation of health promotion programs and services for populations, aggregates, and individuals/families in the community through advanced practice roles of educator, consultant, and expert practitioner.” 705:541 Primary Care of Adults and Aged II Practicum“4. Incorporate and evaluate innovative strategies that include the use of current technologies in the delivery of advanced nursing care to women across the lifespan through advanced practice roles.”
9. Evaluate the standards of practice and consensus or
evidence-based practice guidelines applicable to a particular population or area of practice.
512705:512 Research Methods in Nursing (Spring 2010) “8. apply knowledge for evidence-based practice to advanced practice nursing.” 705:527 Advanced Practice in Pediatric Nursing I Practicum (Spring 2008) Review and critique standards of care developed for the primary care of children and adolescents. 705:529 Primary Care of Women III Practicum (Fall 2009): Upon the completion of this course the student will “3. Manage the care of women within current acceptable practice guidelines/standards of care.
10. Employ educational strategies (using instructional theories/research) with clients, families, staff members, and others.
705:504 Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (Spring 2010) “5. Demonstrate and evaluate the knowledge and skills required for the subroles of: teacher, researcher, advocate, consultant, collaborator and systems manager required for advanced practice. “
11. Use theories from organizational sciences to optimize health system functioning.
705:522 Primary Care of Adults and Aged I (Spring 2010) “3. Analyze nursing intervention programs, resources, and systems for the delivery of primary health care to chronically ill young adults, adult, and elderly clients.” 705:532 Primary Care of Adults and Aged Theory III (Fall, 2009):
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Upon completion of this course the student will be able to: “3. Analyze nursing intervention programs, resources, and systems for delivery of primary health care to chronically ill young adults, adults, and elderly clients. 705:609 Advanced Practice: Acute Care Nursing II Practicum (Summer 2010): “3. Analyze nursing interventions, programs, resources, and systems for the delivery of acute care of critically ill clients.”
12. Pursue doctoral study.
109
Curriculum Survey Tool:
Baccalaureate Essentials Essentials I through IX delineate the outcomes expected of graduates of baccalaureate nursing programs. Achievement of these outcomes will enable graduates to practice within complex healthcare systems and assume the roles: provider of care; designer/manager/coordinator of care; and member of a profession.
Undergrad Nursing Course (Please indicate course name and year taught in Curriculum) Baccalaureate Essentials
LifeSpan Year: Sophomore
Human Interactive Processes
Year: Sophomore
Nutrition Year: Sophomore
Cultural Dimensions of Humans
Year: Sophomore
Trends in Health Care
Delivery Year: First Year
Health Assessment Across the Life Span
Year: Junior
Nursing Care Provider I Year: Junior
Nursing Care Provider II Year: Junior
I: Liberal Education for Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice A solid base in liberal education provides the cornerstone for the practice and education of nurses.
1: Fully Covered
2: Partially Covered
3: Not Covered
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Covered
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II: Basic Organizational and Systems Leadership for Quality Care and Patient Safety Knowledge and skills in leadership, quality improvement, and patient safety are necessary to provide high quality health care.
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2: Partially Covered
3: Not Covered
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III: Scholarship for Evidence Based Practice Professional nursing practice is grounded in the translation of
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Undergrad Nursing Course (Please indicate course name and year taught in Curriculum) Baccalaureate Essentials
LifeSpan Year: Sophomore
Human Interactive Processes
Year: Sophomore
Nutrition Year: Sophomore
Cultural Dimensions of Humans
Year: Sophomore
Trends in Health Care
Delivery Year: First Year
Health Assessment Across the Life Span
Year: Junior
Nursing Care Provider I Year: Junior
Nursing Care Provider II Year: Junior
current evidence into practice. 2: Partially Covered 3: Not Covered
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Covered
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Covered
IV: Information Management and Application of Patient Care Technology Knowledge and skills in information management and patient care technology are critical in the delivery of quality patient care.
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3: Not Covered
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Covered
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V: Healthcare Policy, Finance, and Regulatory Environments Healthcare policies, including financial and regulatory, directly and indirectly influence the nature and functioning of the healthcare system and thereby are important considerations in professional nursing practice.
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Undergrad Nursing Course (Please indicate course name and year taught in Curriculum) Baccalaureate Essentials
LifeSpan Year: Sophomore
Human Interactive Processes
Year: Sophomore
Nutrition Year: Sophomore
Cultural Dimensions of Humans
Year: Sophomore
Trends in Health Care
Delivery Year: First Year
Health Assessment Across the Life Span
Year: Junior
Nursing Care Provider I Year: Junior
Nursing Care Provider II Year: Junior
VI: Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration for Improving Patient Health Outcomes Communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals are critical to delivering high quality and safe patient care.
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Covered
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Covered
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Covered
VII: Clinical Prevention and Population Health Health promotion and disease prevention at the individual and population level are necessary to improve population health and are important components of baccalaureate generalist nursing practice.
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VIII: Professionalism and Professional Values Professionalism and the inherent values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice are fundamental to nursing.
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Undergrad Nursing Course (Please indicate course name and year taught in Curriculum) Baccalaureate Essentials
LifeSpan Year: Sophomore
Human Interactive Processes
Year: Sophomore
Nutrition Year: Sophomore
Cultural Dimensions of Humans
Year: Sophomore
Trends in Health Care
Delivery Year: First Year
Health Assessment Across the Life Span
Year: Junior
Nursing Care Provider I Year: Junior
Nursing Care Provider II Year: Junior
IX: Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing Practice The baccalaureate-graduate nurse is prepared to practice with patients, including individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations across the lifespan and across the continuum of healthcare environments. The baccalaureate graduate understands and respects the variations of care, the increased complexity, and the increased use of healthcare resources inherent in caring for patients (AACN, 2008).
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2Content Mapping Tool
Content The Childbearing Family
Learning Outcome
Learning Activities
How Evaluated (Activities, Quiz, etc.)
Be Specific! Theory Clinical
Example: *(Delete before submission)* Modification of Assessment and Atypical Presentation in Older Adults with Complex Illness
Example: Assess an older adult for atypical presentation of disease.
Example: 1. Web-based resource visit: www.ConsultGeriRN.org and select Try This Series: Atypical Presentation 2. Article: Jarrett, P. G., Rockwood, K., Carver, D., Stoles, P., & Cosway, S. (1995). Illness presentation in elderly patients. Archives of Internal Medicine, 155(10), 1060-4. Evidence Level III: Quasi-experimental Study.
Example: Critical Care Setting Post clinical conference: review a patient case of an older adult displaying signs of a possible atypical presentation or altered illness presentation. Students to relate other experiences where they felt a patient was presenting atypically, “lesson learned”.
Example: 3 specific test questions on Atypical Presentation, sign and symptoms.
1The curriculum survey was adapted from a tool developed by Dr. Kathleen Blais, Florida International University School of Nursing and based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing & John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing. (2000).. 2 The content map was adapted from a Geriatric Competency Mapping tool developed by the Southern Region Coalition, 2006, as a program of the Arkansas Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Nursing.
114
Graduate Curriculum Survey Tool_
Masters Essentials Essentials I through VII delineate the outcomes expected of graduates of graduate nursing programs irrespective of specialty. Achievement of these outcomes will enable graduates to practice within complex healthcare systems and, applies to any nurse prepared at the master’s degree level to provide direct client care..
Graduate Nursing Course (Please indicate course name and year taught in Curriculum) Graduate Core Curriculum
Human Diversity/
Social Issues
Core
Psychosocial
Foundations Core
Research Methods Core
Contemporary Role of the APN Core
Advanced Health Assessment Core
Pharmaco-dynamics Core
Primary Care of Adults & Aged Theory and Practicum I Specialty
Primary Health Care Theory and Practicum II Specialty
I. Research
The purpose of research at the master’s level is to prepare a practitioner for the utilization of new knowledge to provide high quality health care, initiate change, and improve nursing practice.
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II. Policy, Organization, and Financing of Health Care In an environment with ongoing changes in the organization and financing of health care, it is imperative that all graduates of master’s degree nursing programs have a keen understanding of health care
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Graduate Nursing Course (Please indicate course name and year taught in Curriculum) Graduate Core Curriculum
Human Diversity/
Social Issues
Core
Psychosocial
Foundations Core
Research Methods Core
Contemporary Role of the APN Core
Advanced Health Assessment Core
Pharmaco-dynamics Core
Primary Care of Adults & Aged Theory and Practicum I Specialty
Primary Health Care Theory and Practicum II Specialty
policy, organization, and financing of health care.
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III. Ethics Expanding health technologies and increasing demands for cost containment have emphasized the need for ethical decision making by all health care professionals.
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IV. Professional Role Development This content operationalizes the theoretical principles and norms within the graduate’s specialty area of practice.
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Graduate Nursing Course (Please indicate course name and year taught in Curriculum) Graduate Core Curriculum
Human Diversity/
Social Issues
Core
Psychosocial
Foundations Core
Research Methods Core
Contemporary Role of the APN Core
Advanced Health Assessment Core
Pharmaco-dynamics Core
Primary Care of Adults & Aged Theory and Practicum I Specialty
Primary Health Care Theory and Practicum II Specialty
V. Theoretical Foundations of Nursing Practice The graduate should be prepared to critique, evaluate, and utilize appropriate theory within one’s practice.
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VI. Human Diversity and Social Issues
Global awareness is necessary to provide culturally sensitive care. The inclusion of this content develops an understanding and appreciation of human diversity in health and illness and to assure the delivery of appropriate or individualized health care
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Graduate Nursing Course (Please indicate course name and year taught in Curriculum) Graduate Core Curriculum
Human Diversity/
Social Issues
Core
Psychosocial
Foundations Core
Research Methods Core
Contemporary Role of the APN Core
Advanced Health Assessment Core
Pharmaco-dynamics Core
Primary Care of Adults & Aged Theory and Practicum I Specialty
Primary Health Care Theory and Practicum II Specialty
VII. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Health Promotion and Disease Prevention can be defined comprehensively as a wide array of personal/clinical and community-based interventions in addition to broad development and application of social policies that influence the goal of achieving health.
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I. Advanced Health/Physical Assessment Advanced health/physical assessment includes the comprehensive history, physical and psychological assessment of signs and symptoms, pathophysiologic changes, and psychosocial variations of the client: the individual, family, or community..
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Graduate Nursing Course (Please indicate course name and year taught in Curriculum) Graduate Core Curriculum
Human Diversity/
Social Issues
Core
Psychosocial
Foundations Core
Research Methods Core
Contemporary Role of the APN Core
Advanced Health Assessment Core
Pharmaco-dynamics Core
Primary Care of Adults & Aged Theory and Practicum I Specialty
Primary Health Care Theory and Practicum II Specialty
II. Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology The advanced practice nurse should possess a well-grounded understanding of normal physiologic and pathologic mechanisms of disease that serves as one primary component of the foundation for clinical assessment, decision making, and management.
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III. Advanced Pharmacology Every APN graduate should have a well-grounded understanding of basic pharmacologic principles, which includes the cellular response level.
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2Content Mapping Tool
Content (Name of Course)
Learning Outcome
Learning Activities
How Evaluated (Activities, Quiz, etc.)
Be Specific! Theory Clinical
Example: *(Delete before submission)* Modification of Assessment and Atypical Presentation in Older Adults with Complex Illness
Example: Assess an older adult for atypical presentation of disease.
Examples: 1. Web-based resource visit: www.ConsultGeriRN.org and select Try This Series: Atypical Presentation 2. Article: Jarrett, P. G., Rockwood, K., Carver, D., Stoles, P., & Cosway, S. (1995). Illness presentation in elderly patients. Archives of Internal Medicine, 155(10), 1060-4. Evidence Level III: Quasi-experimental Study.
Examples: Critical Care Setting Post clinical conference: review a patient case of an older adult displaying signs of a possible atypical presentation or altered illness presentation. Students to relate other experiences where they felt a patient was presenting atypically, “lesson learned”.
Examples: 3 specific test questions on Atypical Presentation, sign and symptoms.
120
Content (Name of Course)
Learning Outcome
Learning Activities
How Evaluated (Activities, Quiz, etc.)
Be Specific! Theory Clinical
9 1The curriculum survey was adapted from a tool developed by Dr. Kathleen Blais, Florida International University School of Nursing and based on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing & John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing. (2000).. 2 The content map was adapted from a Geriatric Competency Mapping tool developed by the Southern Region Coalition, 2006, as a program of the Arkansas Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Nursing.
LDW 4-15-09