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Recent News and Events


The Spirit of Inquiry, WKU Nursing Research Newsletter

The Spirit of Inquiry, Western Kentucky University's School of Nursing research newsletter, Summer 2016 edition highlights research achievements during the 2015-2016 academic year.  The publication includes faculty publications, presentations, and awards received, as well as student presentations of their DNP project or MSN capstone projects.

Nursing Spirit, School of Nursing Annual Publication

Pharmacology Update (CE Event)

Friday April 29, 2016

8:00 am — 4:30 pm CDT

Registration begins at 7:30 am

Location:

The Medical Center / WKU Health Science Complex Bldg.

700 First Avenue

Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101

(270) 745-6351

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (INCLUDING FLYER) REGARDING PHARMACOLOGY UPDATE

The WKU School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Services is pleased to announce the Pharmacology Update 2016 sponsored by the Kappa Theta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International in conjunction with WKU School of Nursing and The Commonwealth Corporation.  This all day event will be held on Friday, April 29, 2016 from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm CDT at The Medical Center / WKU Health Sciences Complex (700 First Street, Bowling Green, KY).  Topics at this year’s event include New Drug Update for 2016, Let’s Talk About Sex Contraceptive Options, Pain Management 2016, Management of Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction and Asthma: Implications for Treatment.  Additional information, such as registration cost (which includes breaks, lunch and CE) and CE contact hours, is available within the electronic brochure.

19th Annual Research Day & CE Event

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

5:00 — 8:00 pm CDT

Registration begins at 5:00 pm

Location:

The Medical Center / WKU Health Science Complex Bldg.

700 First Avenue

Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101

(270) 745-6351

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (INCLUDING FLYER) REGARDING RESEARCH DAY

The WKU School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Services is pleased to announce the 19th Annual Nursing Research Day sponsored by Sigma Theta Tau International, Kappa Theta Chapter.  This event will be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 from 5 to 8 pm (CDT) at The Medical Center/WKU Health Sciences Complex.  This annual event is sponsored by the Kappa Theta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International and features the theme of Improving Health Outcomes through Evidence-based Practice.  This year the key note address will be The CNE and the Big Data Revolution presented by Jane Englebright, Ph. D.  Dr. Englebright has over 36 years of experience in the nursing field, including being a graduate of the WKU School of Nursing Associate of Science in Nursing in 1978, and for the past 19 years, she has served as HCA, Inc.’s Chief Nurse Executive.

3.0 CE will be provided by the South Central Kentucky Area Health Education Center.  A meal will be served.

Four School of Nursing Students Receive Scholarships from Greenview Regional Hospital

April 2016

The School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Services has announced their recipients of the Greenview Regional Hospital Registered Nurse (RN) Scholarships! Greenview Regional Hospital, located in Bowling Green, KY, offers financial assistance to students who will be graduating from the Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program at Western Kentucky University (WKU) through a competitive selection process. Scholarships will be offered to students in return of a two-year commitment to work at Greenview Regional Hospital upon graduation.

Applicants are selected based on academic achievement, interviews, employability, and a proven commitment to quality patient care. The recipients of the Greenview Regional Hospital Scholarships are: Preston Gothard of Scottsville, KY; Frankie Hargis of Bowling Green, KY; Brittany Potts of Dawson Springs, KY; and Derrick Scoggins of Bowling Green, KY. All scholarship recipients are seniors, enrolled in their 3rd semester of the BSN Pre-licensure program at WKU.

“I am very excited to have received this scholarship,” said scholarship recipient Derrick Scoggins, “I look forward to continue working for Greenview and further my career.”

“I am honored to have received such a blessing and opportunity from a facility such as Greenview,” said scholarship recipient Preston Gothard, “I look forward to what my employment there will bring.”

“My dream has always been to pursue a job in the medical field,” said scholarship recipient Brittany Potts, “I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to become part of the Greenview Hospital team.”

Greenview Regional Hospital is offering scholarships up to $20,000 each to the qualified students that will be graduating from the BSN program at WKU in December of 2016.

Human Trafficking Education for Local Nurses and Nursing Students

March 2016

A joint meeting with the Kentucky Nurses Association, REACH chapter and Sigma Theta Tau International, Kappa Theta chapter was held on Tuesday, February 16 at the WKU/Medical Center Health Sciences Complex in Bowling Green, KY.  Melissa Gilpin from the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs was the guest speaker.  She gave a presentation on Human Trafficking to more than 70 nurses and students from Southcentral Kentucky.  During her presentation, Melissa talked about the scope of the problem nationwide, in Kentucky, and locally.  More information on human trafficking can be obtained at www.kasap.org or www.traffickingresourcecenter.org.

RN to BSN Students have Publications in Kentucky Nurse

March 2016

Kerri Eklund and Brittany Janes recently had publications in the Kentucky Nurse, the publication of the Kentucky Nurses Association. Kerri and Brittany submitted these as students in the RN to BSN program in the School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Services at WKU.  The title of Kerri’s publication is “Summary Code of Ethics.”  The title of Brittany’s publication is “I Just Couldn’t Leave.” 

Both articles were published in the January/February/March (2016) edition of the Kentucky Nurse.   Congratulations to both Kerri and Brittany.

School of Nursing to Transition Away From Traditional Associate Degree in Nursing Program

March 2016

Over the next three years, the School of Nursing, in The College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) at Western Kentucky University (WKU), will transition away from the traditional Associate of Science in Nursing Program (ASN) and increase students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to meet the workforce need for more BSN nurses. Admissions into the online Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to ASN program, currently one of only two in the state, will continue.

 In 2010, the Institute of Medicine published a comprehensive plan for Nursing and Nursing Education in the U.S., commonly known as the Future of Nursing report. One of the key goals was to increase the proportion of registered nurses with baccalaureate degrees to 80 percent by the year 2020. Because of this change, BSN nurses are currently in high demand by local employers and across the U.S. WKU wants to meet this workforce need by accommodating as many people as possible in its BSN program.

 “We have continued strong student demand for the BSN program, with 80 students being admitted to the program every semester, and with steadily increasing size and strength of our applicant pool,” Dr. Mary Bennett, Director of the WKU School of Nursing, said. “We expect continued strong demand for this program, with 496 students currently enrolled in the pre-BSN program, seeking to obtain a seat. We would like to be able to admit every qualified student to the BSN program, so we will transfer resources from the ASN program to enlarge the BSN program.”

The last class of traditional ASN students will be admitted into the program in January 2017. These students will progress through the program and complete their degrees in May 2019. Students still seeking entry into the WKU ASN program after the last admission cycle will be able to transition to either the WKU BSN program, or seek entry into one of the remaining ASN programs in Kentucky. As the traditional ASN program changes, the BSN program will increase enrollment by accepting up to 60 additional qualified students per semester to meet employer and student demands for the BSN degree. The WKU LPN to ASN online program, a novel program that is funded by the WKU Division of Learning and Outreach (DELO), will remain open while the College of Health and Human Services assesses the enrollment potential of this online program.

 “CHHS and The School of Nursing continue to prepare our students to be human change agents by promoting a higher quality of life and providing cutting-edge, financially valuable programs to serve our constituents,” Dr. Bennett said. “Transitioning away from the traditional ASN program will allow for growth in our competitive and prestigious BSN program and will fulfill the needs of both the community and our students, while contributing to the Institute of Medicine target goal of increasing the proportion of registered nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80 percent by 2020.”


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 


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 Last Modified 3/14/18