NEW GRADUATE PROGRAM
by Sharyn Kopf — Marketing
October 26, 2009
With Kind Words and a Gentle Touch:
Cedarville University Announces Masters of Science in Nursing Program
"And wherever the need arises — on whatever distant shore — I ask no higher or greater privilege than to minister to it."
So spoke Mary Seacole, a self-taught nurse from Jamaica. Born of a black mother and a Scottish father in 1805, Seacole worked tirelessly throughout her life to treat those suffering from disease, particularly cholera. But when she asked to join Florence Nightingale’s efforts to care for the sick and wounded during the Crimean War, she was rejected despite her years of experience with tropical diseases. Not one to give up easily, Seacole paid her own way and set up a store and boarding house near the battlefield, where she provided food, comfort, and medical care for soldiers.
In the over 150 years since Mary Seacole ministered to men in combat, nursing has grown in science and respect, yet the heart of compassion remains the same. Unfortunately, well-qualified, advanced practice nurses are hard to find … and it’s not getting any easier. For these — and many more — reasons, Cedarville University has announced its decision to offer a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) degree.
Precedent
Since its inception in the early 1980s, Cedarville’s nursing program has been one of its most popular degrees. In keeping with the University’s stellar reputation in the sciences, this new master’s program is a natural progression.
The M.S.N. will build upon a strong undergraduate bachelor’s degree — one that integrates faith and a biblical worldview into the discipline of nursing. Besides these strong incentives, the M.S.N. has a threefold mission: to increase knowledge and skills for meeting domestic and global health care as well as spiritual needs, to provide an avenue for nurses desiring advanced education from a Christian perspective, and to prepare graduates to meet current and future requirements in the nursing profession.
Necessity
“The demand is great,” said Dr. Jan Conway, department chair and senior professor of nursing. “We hope to increase the number of advance practice nurses to fill local, national, and international openings.”
As the need for health care services continues to grow, the U.S. faces a shortage. In fact, in his book The Future of the Nursing Workforce in the United States, Dr. Peter Buerhaus projects the nursing shortage could reach half a million by 2025 with a 40 percent registered nurse (RN) vacancy rate across the nation.
With Cedarville’s strong reputation for supplying qualified nurses not only locally but around the world, the M.S.N. offers another opportunity to contribute to this vital health care profession. The degree will provide in-depth professional and advanced practice study for nurses who wish to expand their knowledge of health care delivery, clinical expertise, nursing leadership, use of evidence-based research, and academic scholarship grounded in biblical truth.
Unique
Being a nurse means having a compassionate heart. Since Cedarville approaches education from a biblical perspective, that compassion permeates the coursework. “We would like our graduates to be able to use nursing for Christ,” said Dr. Chu-Yu Huang, director of the M.S.N. program and assistant to the department chair. “We hope they will be an influence not just domestically but also globally.”
Not only do Cedarville’s faculty integrate scriptural principles into the curriculum, they also serve as role models for the student body. The professors use 2 Peter 1:3–8 to promote character and academic development.
This commitment will continue into the M.S.N. program, as Cedarville’s professors have the credentials necessary to implement a master’s degree. Conway sees this as an opportunity to train the next generation of educators, saying, “I’m looking forward to having well-prepared master’s graduates assume faculty roles.”
Interest in the program can be seen as current students and area alumni are already asking about start dates. Classes are scheduled to begin fall 2010 with full accreditation anticipated by fall 2011.*
More Information
*Pending accreditation by the Ohio Board of Regents and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.