|
|
|
|||||||
Nursing Programs to the Rescue By Vicki Hewitt  When a medical need arises nothing is more comforting than knowing a nurse will be there to help. Unfortunately, the shortage of nurses nationwide means people no longer have this assurance. Director of Nursing and Health Sciences Dr. Mary Jane Hamilton and faculty are working diligently with medical professionals in the community to remedy this concern. With 500 students now enrolled in A&M-Corpus Christi’s nursing and health programs, the department has grown to be the third largest in the University. “The exciting news is that we have more than a hundred new applicants for Fall 2003, and they are the most highly qualified group of applicants we have ever had,” said Hamilton. “And our state-of-the-art laboratory is one of the newest and best-equipped in Texas. We are now working to make sure that we will be ready and able to admit every one of these students, even with the current State budget cut situation.” Baccalaureate programs offered at A&M-Corpus Christi include a general Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree for undergraduates and an RN-BSN for registered nurses who wish to build upon previous education. “A lot of people wonder, ‘Why go four years to become an RN when you can get an RN degree in two years from some institutions?’” Hamilton said. “The reality of it is – the RNs with two-year degrees usually end up working for the RNs with bachelor’s degrees. In today’s competitive healthcare environment, nurses with advanced degrees definitely have an advantage when it comes to choosing positions higher on the career ladder.” A&M-Corpus Christi also offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program with three different specialties: nursing administration, family nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist. All nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education in Washington, D.C. (more information at http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/nursing). Nursing major Michelle Gloor is glad she made the decision to become a nurse. “The Nursing Program at A&M-Corpus Christi is everything I hoped it would be,” Gloor stated. “Great instructors, incredible lab, things to do on my time off . . . it’s just the best environment.” Hamilton is both proud of A&M-Corpus Christi’s nursing programs and the students she sees growing every day. “We’re committed to providing the facilities, instructors and resources to provide the best program possible. Seventy percent of our faculty holds a doctoral degree and our student pass rate on the Texas Board of Nursing Exam is 92 percent. Nursing is both an art and a science, and there’s never been a better time than now to become one.” All nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education in Washington, D.C. (more information at http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/nursing). |
|||||||