Shorter College School of Nursing forms advisory committee; receives praise for first progress report

May 27 - The Shorter College School of Nursing continues to stay busy this summer as local business and community leaders take part in making sure the new program gets off to the best start possible.

A community advisory committee, comprised of educational administrators, community members and leaders in the local healthcare field, recently formed with the idea that input from seasoned professionals would add a little something extra to a program that’s already receiving praise.

Advisory committee members include Shorter School of Nursing Dean Dr. Vanice Roberts;
Shorter College Provost Dr. Craig Shull; Shorter College nursing faculty Jeanette Bernhardt
and Roxanne Johnston; Patricia Townley, Floyd County Health Department; Ann Stocks,
Redmond Regional Medical Center; David Fowler, Northwest Georgia Regional; Jan King,
Coosa Valley Home Health; Dr. Bill Naguszeski, Coosa Medical Group; Shea Bennett, Annette Clairy; Louise Godfrey and  Linda Russell.

Set to launch in the fall of 2010, the program received overwhelming feedback from the Georgia Board of Nursing (GBON) after submitting their first progress report this month, explained Shorter College School of Nursing Dean Vanice Roberts.

“Not only was Report I accepted by the GBON, but Julia Gould, the nursing education consultant for the nursing board, said that it was a ‘quality report’ and a ‘treat to read.’ I credit the creative curriculum organization to an incredible team effort to plan a nursing program that will prepare the professional nurse for a health care system that is, at best, constantly changing, and at times chaotic, uncertain and ambiguous,” Roberts said.

The nursing curriculum is built on a solid liberal arts foundation that provides the graduate with the ability to apply knowledge and critical reasoning in the areas of communication, assessment, cultural sensitivity and resourcefulness. Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will use the liberal arts foundation courses such as English, communication, psychology, sociology, growth and development, history, and political science to provide a sound foundation for the diverse complex health care needs of today.

 “The in-depth knowledge acquired from courses in physical and social sciences, mathematics, statistics, religion, integrated studies, and fine arts in baccalaureate programs will prepare the graduate for the increased complexity of practice. This solid base in the liberal arts and basic sciences will provide the foundation that will best prepare our nurses to adapt to change, use critical thinking and reasoning, analyze and communicate data, work with interdisciplinary teams and community resources,” Roberts said.  “The extensive two years of foundation course work will be incorporated into the nursing curriculum that will result in an educated nurse prepared for the practice challenges of the future."

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