Building on its well-known and respected undergraduate BSN programs, EMU’s nursing department is launching a masters program in nursing leadership and management. The program is designed to prepare graduates to lead and collaborate in complex health care systems. The master’s level program offers a 24-month, 37-credit hour cohort model in which no more than 16 students work together and move through the program as a cohesive unit.

Dr. Ann Hershberger, coordinator of EMU’s new MS degree in nursing leadership program, reviews clinical experiences in local health organizations with nursing students. Photo by Jon Styer

“The EMU teaching framework includes approaches that are vital for nurse leaders and managers to bring about change within the systems in which they work,” noted Ann G. Hershberger, professor of nursing and program coordinator. “Approaches in the EMU philosophy include empowerment, reconciliation, partnership, presence, justice, service and advocacy.

“The overall goal is the creation of just systems through cultural competence, evidence based practice, conflict transformation, and enhanced communication,” Dr. Hershberger said. “Just systems are recognized by enhanced quality and patient safety.”

A ‘click and brick’ approach

The program will run fall, spring and summer semesters, with a teaching-learning approach known as “click and brick,” a combination of distance learning courses (“click”) and at least one face-to-face meeting (“brick”) each semester.

According to Hershberger, the program is designed for working nurses who need to maintain family commitments, stay in the same area and remain on the job while developing leadership and management skills and deepening scholarship.

“Professors will draw on EMU’s extensive experience in cross-cultural learning and the nursing department’s established reputation for educating nurses with high moral values, a broader view towards others, in depth communication skills and cultural competence,” she said.

“Students will gain from the expertise of entrepreneurial faculty in EMU’s other graduate programs in business and conflict transformation as they cultivate leadership skills and an effective voice; remaining mindful of what is just, respectful and sacred,” Hershberger added.

The MS in nursing leadership and management degree program began accepting applications Mar. 15. The first cohort begins Aug. 28, 2010. For more information, contact Joan Henry, 540-432-4983, email: msnursing@emu.edu or visit the website, www.emu.edu/msn-leadership

]]> /now/news/2005/nursing-students-travel-to-scenes-of-hurricane-to-help/ Thu, 22 Sep 2005 04:00:00 +0000 http://www.emu.edu/blog/news/?p=956 Assistant Professor of Nursing Don Tyson reports that all students arrived home safely on Friday, Sept. 30. The group will share their experiences with the campus community in the near future. While on-site the group focused on health-related work because many hurricane victims have been without medications from days to weeks.

About two dozen nursing students from EMU and neighboring James Madison University left Harrisonburg
early on Sept. 19 for the Gulf Coast to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The EMU senior nursing students and two nursing faculty members from EMU and 17 students and one professor from JMU traveled by bus to a Red Cross "disbursement center" in Montgomery, Ala. From there, they were given assignments in either Louisiana or Mississippi.

The group has now finished their Red Cross orientation. Donald L. Tyson, a registered nurse and assistant professor of nursing at EMU, reports it is a massive operation with about 100 volunteers going through the center everyday. Their group has been assigned to Red Cross Service Centers about 120 miles north of New Orleans. The relief teams are now anticipating the arrival of large groups of displaced people from Texas. At the service centers the students and faculty members will be doing health assessments and especially targeting persons with high blood pressure and diabetes (very common in the
region).

"It wasn’t clear before we left exactly where we’ll be going," said Tyson before the group’s departure. "But we’re likely to be doing community health assessments, referrals and public health teaching as Red Cross volunteers." The agency is providing transportation, housing and meals for the group.

The EMU nursing students are Kara Glick, Amanda Maust, Monica Hensley, Aaron Schmucker, Hadley Jenner, Carla Simmons-Wulin, Emily Dye and Cara Salmon along with Tyson and Klassen.

"It will be a life-altering, practical learning experience (for the nursing students)," said Donna Trimm, an assistant professor of nursing at
JMU.

The students will be required to make up missed class work upon their return to their respective campuses Sept. 30.

In an e-mail message to the campus community just prior to departure, Tyson said, "We ask your prayers for us and for the people we will be
touching during this time."