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2010 Plan: Frequently Asked Questions

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UTHSC College of Nursing 2010 Educational Programs Model

Frequently Asked Questions

Special Note: This 2010 plan proposes a model that we are striving to achieve. Some of the programs included in the model have yet to be created or approved and we are not yet actively recruiting students for these programs. We are only recruiting students for programs that currently exist and are described on our web page and in our promotional materials.

1. Why are you changing your educational programs?

Today’s, and tomorrow’s, health system has become much more complex than it was even a few years ago. The demand for all levels of nurses to provide patient care in this environment is great. The need is particularly great for nurses who have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide highly sophisticated care, solve complex patient care problems, and make critical decisions in urgent situations.

As a health science center we are best poised to address the need for preparing nurses at this highest level of practice. By focusing our talents and resources in this direction, we will be able to maximize our contributions to improving health care.

2. Will there be a BSN program in the 2010 plan?

No, there will not be a BSN program. We will transition our current professional entry-level baccalaureate (BSN) program to a professional entry-level master’s (MSN) program and will also eventually have an advanced practice entry-level doctoral program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

3. What is going to happen to current BSN students when the MSN begins?

Current BSN students will complete their program of study and graduate as scheduled with their baccalaureate degrees. Students admitted to the BSN program in 2008 during the transition to this new model will likewise complete their program of study and graduate with BSN degrees.

4. Will students who are in the BSN program during the transition to this new model be able to transfer into the entry-level MSN or DNP program?

Some of the courses in our BSN curriculum already carry graduate credit and can count toward the MSN degree. As the transition plan and curricula for the new entry-level MSN and DNP programs are developed, mechanisms will be designed to facilitate those second-degree students who desire to do so, to move into these programs. A post-BSN plan will be developed for our traditional BSN students who wish to enter the MSN after their BSN graduation.

5. Is the CNL (Clinical Nurse Leader) the ONLY MSN program you will have?

Yes, we will transition our current master’s advanced practice nursing (APN) programs to the DNP and will have only the generalist, professional CNL program at the master’s level.

6. What is going to happen to current MSN students when the post- BSN-DNP program begins?

The current MSN students will complete their program of study and graduate as scheduled with their master’s degrees. Students admitted to the current advanced practice MSN program any time during the transition to this new model will likewise complete their program of study and graduate with MSN degrees.

7. Will students who are in the MSN program during the transition to this new model be able to transfer into the DNP program?

Some of the courses in our MSN curriculum already carry credit that can count toward the DNP degree. As the transition plan is developed, mechanisms will be designed to facilitate those who desire to do so, to move into the DNP program.

8. Is the CRNA program going to the DNP too?

Yes, the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program will seek approval to become one of the options in our DNP program. This is in keeping with the recommendation of the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) that CRNA programs undertake a thoughtful approach to moving toward doctoral preparation.

9. Are you promoting the MSN degree as entry into practice and the eventual closing of BSN programs?

Entry-level baccalaureate (BSN) programs prepare an extremely valuable and much-needed health care provider. While we support entry-level baccalaureate education for nurses, as a health science center we believe our greatest contribution to the nursing shortage and improvement of health care is to focus our resources on the education of nurses at the graduate level. So, although we will not be continuing admission to our BSN program, we are not advocating the broad closure of baccalaureate programs.

10. Will you have any programs for people who are not already nurses but want to become nurses?

The MSN-CNL program is just such a program. Yes, once the plan is fully operational, we will offer options for individuals who are not already nurses to become nurses via our MSN-CNL or DNP programs.

11. Do RNs wanting a MSN, DNP, or PhD have to:

a. Have a BSN for admission?

No, they will not necessarily have to have a bachelor’s in nursing but they will need to have a bachelor’s or higher degree in some discipline.

b. Take some bridge courses?

As the new curricula are developed, mechanisms will be put in place that will enable each student’s prior coursework to be evaluated and a plan of study will be determined based on prior academic work.

c. Go to school full time?

The ability to offer part-time study has not yet been determined.

12. What are the admissions criteria for all your programs?

Although the admissions criteria for new programs have not yet been determined, it is anticipated that they will be much like the current admissions criteria for our existing MSN and DNP programs. Applicants to the MSN-CNL program will have specific prerequisite courses that are required in addition to the requirement for an earned bachelor’s degree. These prerequisites will be similar to those for the second-degree students in the current BSN program.

13. What is going to happen to all of the faculty and staff that were just hired to run the BSN program?

Because we are retaining entry-level programs at both the MSN and DNP levels, we anticipate that all the individuals hired in conjunction with our entry-level BSN program, and perhaps even more, will be needed to operate our new programs.

14. Can I still get a master’s in nursing at UT Health Science Center?

Yes, definitely. We will continue our current master’s advanced practice options until those programs are transitioned to the DNP. We will continue to offer our current master’s options and will continue to offer the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) option at the master’s level once the 2010 plan is fully operational.

15. Do you still offer nurse practitioner programs?

Yes, definitely. Until our current MSN programs are transitioned to the DNP, we will continue to offer our nurse practitioner programs at the master’s level. Once the 2010 plan is fully operational in 2009, our NP programs will be offered at the doctoral (DNP) level as recommended by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

16. What is the timetable for implementation of this plan? When will all these programs begin?

The 2010 plan will be strategically and thoughtfully phased in over the next five years. Our Curriculum Committee is working to develop the best approach for this phase-in. We anticipate that, during phase one, our master’s APN programs will move to the doctoral level. The next step will be the transition of our professional entry-level bachelor’s program to the master’s level. The final phase will be the establishment of an advanced practice, entry-level doctoral option. We will continue our current post-master’s DNP entry for those who already hold the MSN as part of the 2010 plan.

17. How does this plan help address the nursing shortage?

The shortage of nurses is a critical problem that cuts across all levels of nurses. Recently, the severe shortage of nurses prepared at the graduate level has received increased attention and is often cited as being even more critical than the shortage of nurses prepared at the baccalaureate or associate degree level. In addition to the direct care value of nurses with graduate degrees, graduate education is required of nurse educators. A shortage of graduate-prepared nurses has limited our ability to educate nurses at the baccalaureate and associate degree levels. Thus, our focus on the preparation of nurses at the graduate level will help directly address the critical shortage of nurses with advanced preparation, as well as indirectly help address the shortage of nurses with baccalaureate and associate degrees.

18. What will happen to students who are currently enrolled in programs that are being transitioned to another degree (e.g., current BSN and MSN students)?

Students who have been admitted to any program in the College of Nursing will be able to continue in the program they were admitted to, and graduate from that program, as long as they meet course requirements and remain in good standing with the university.

19. How many students will be admitted in each program?

Although the final number of students to be admitted will be determined through a thoughtful analysis of our resources, we anticipate that our overall student body will not diminish in size. We currently admit approximately 70 BSN professional-entry students, 80 MSN advanced practice entry students, and 50 post-MSN DNP students each year; for a total of 200 admissions annually.

20. How long (how many credits or years) will it take to complete each program?

Although some program lengths are dictated by external accrediting bodies, our philosophy has always been to create high quality programs that move students through to graduation in the most efficient manner possible. As our curriculum committee designs these new programs, they have been charged to create curricula that continue to provide high quality education, in the most efficient manner possible, within the constraints of our accrediting bodies. Until these new programs are fully developed we cannot specify exactly how long they will be.

21. What is a CNL?

CNL stands for “Clinical Nurse Leader.” This is not a degree per se but rather a role that someone earning a master’s degree (MSN) is being prepared to fulfill. Preparation for the CNL role involves broad-based generalist nursing education with additional emphasis on safety, error prevention and quality improvement in the direct care of patients with complex health problems.

a. How will nurses with this education help our health care delivery system?

Nurses with master’s level preparation as CNL’s are already being deployed across the country in leadership positions at the unit level in acute, long-term, and community-based health care systems. They are being recognized as critical to the delivery of safe, quality patient care, which is ultimately enhancing the health care offered in their organizations.

b. Will nurses who return to school and get these degrees expect to make more money? How can health care agencies afford them?

Nurses entering CNL programs across the country, and the employers who are supporting these nurses’ educations, are motivated by their desire to improve the quality of health care not by a desire to “make more money.” However, once in place, the health care systems employing them discover that not only do CNLs enhance the quality of care in their institutions, but also that, as quality improves, costs are controlled and reduced. The value of these nurses is, therefore, being recognized by organizations, and although monetary gain was not necessarily the motivation for nurses to acquire a MSN-CNL, many are being promoted and ultimately making higher salaries.

22. What is a DNP?

The Doctor of Nursing Practice is a terminal degree that prepares individuals for a variety of roles at a high level of nursing practice. The focus of this training is on the delivery of patient care whether directly to individuals, families, or groups of patients; or through the leadership of systems and organizations responsible for the direct delivery of care.

a. What kind of positions will these students have after graduation?

DNP graduates are already assuming a variety of roles across the country. Most are directly involved in the delivery of patient care whether as an advanced practice nurse (APN) delivering hands-on direct patient care or as an administrator responsible for assuring the delivery of quality care across an organization. Others are in leadership positions in professional organizations, corporations, and foundations. Most are involved in some manner with the preparation of future nurses as preceptors and some are in regular faculty positions.

b. Will nurses who return to school and get these degrees expect to make more money? How can health care agencies afford them?

Nurses entering DNP programs across the country are motivated by their desire to improve the quality of health care, not by a desire to “make more money”. However, once in place, the health care systems employing them discover that not only do DNP graduates enhance the quality of care in their institutions but also as quality improves, costs are controlled and reduced. The value of these nurses is therefore being recognized by organizations, and although monetary gain was not necessarily the motivation for nurses to acquire a DNP degree, many are being promoted and ultimately making higher salaries.

23. Are there accreditation standards for these programs? Are your programs accredited?

Yes, there will be accreditation standards. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) currently accredits professional-entry baccalaureate and master’s programs. This organization has recently developed standards for the accreditation of DNP programs and we will seek the earliest opportunity for DNP accreditation. Our university is currently accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). We also have CCNE accreditation for our BSN and MSN programs, and, additionally, our anesthesia program has Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) accreditation.

24. Will MSN-CNL and DNP graduates be credentialed?

Yes. Criteria have been developed to credential individuals for the CNL role and specialty organizations already offer credentialing for individuals who will become eligible for advanced practice boards as part of their DNP program.

25. Will all Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) have to get a DNP?

A position paper issued by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in October 2004 recommends that all APN programs be in DNP programs by 2015. This does not mean all nurses currently practicing as APNs have a DNP, but rather, programs educating individuals for advanced practice roles in the future should be in DNP programs. The transition of our master’s- APN options into our DNP program is consistent with this recommendation.

26. Does the DNP prepare students for teaching positions?

The DNP program is focused on preparing individuals for a high level of nursing practice. Because some individuals may ultimately seek positions in educational institutions, additional preparation would be needed to prepare for this specific role.

27. Will faculty with DNP be eligible for tenure?

Tenure is the prerogative of each educational institution, which sets its own eligibility criteria and standards. If an institution grants tenure to faculty with professional doctorates from other disciplines (e.g., MD, PharmD, JD, DPT, AudD, EdD, etc.), then faculty with a professional doctorate in nursing (DNP) should also be eligible.

28. How will this plan affect your Methodist partnership?

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the College of Nursing specifically continue to maintain a strong partnership with Methodist Healthcare. This plan has been discussed with them and it is part of our overall plan to work with Methodist to enhance the quality of health care across our community.

29. Will students really get their RN license before graduation?

Yes. The state of Tennessee already permits students in some graduate-entry nursing programs to sit for licensure after they have completed prelicensure coursework and prior to receiving their master’s degree.

a. What’s the advantage of this?

Having completed their basic nursing preparation, students in the final terms of their program will be able to have a richer clinical experience and even work for pay as a registered nurse. In addition, employers will have the advantage of nurses entering the work force in a shorter period of time.