Network: September/October 2009
When The Sentara School of Health Professions received approval from its accrediting agency and the Virginia Board of Nursing to offer a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN) in July, the school also changed its name to the
Sentara College of Health Sciences to better reflect the academic level.
Even in this tough economic climate, nursing is one of the fastest growing professions and this change is designed to keep pace with the professional needs of the healthcare industry. Offering a BSN degree reflects the direction of the nursing profession and the workplace demands for baccalaureate prepared nurses. Graduates will be eligible to enter any graduate nursing program if they choose to further their career.
“Our goal as an organization has always been to meet the needs of the healthcare industry,” says Shelly Cohen, director of the Sentara College of Health Sciences. “This addition of a BSN degree and our transition to a college are just some of the many ways we are meeting those needs.”
The Sentara College of Health Sciences will be one of five programs in the area offering a baccalaureate degree program for nursing students. It will be the only program in the region directly affiliated with a healthcare system, and the new curriculum offers the greatest amount of hands-on clinical experience, compared to any other program in the region.
Sentara expects to graduate its first BSN class in May of 2012.
In addition to its BSN program, the Sentara College of Health Sciences continues to offer diploma and certificate programs for cardiovascular technology and surgical technology, among other allied health programs. All students attending the College of Health Sciences gain clinical experience through the various acute care settings within Sentara. Many student experiences are provided at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the region's only level I trauma center and major referral center for patient care.
“Our program began as a nursing school in 1892, to meet the staffing needs of the “Retreat for the Sick,” the forerunner of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital," explains Cohen. “But in the years since our founding and with the expansion of our system, we have evolved into an educational institution providing highly sought after nursing and allied health graduates.”
The Sentara nursing program has always enjoyed an outstanding reputation for quality. In 2008, 90 percent of the graduates from the School of Nursing passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, commonly referred to as NCLEX. Among other similar programs, this places Sentara among the top two nursing schools in the Commonwealth.
“It is not only important to teach the fundamental skills in the classroom, but we must ensure that we are preparing students to transition into the workplace of today,” adds Cohen. “Our clinical settings provide that opportunity and students graduate with hands on experience in some of the most state of the art facilities in the region today.”