Shae WestThe accelerated nursing program at 黑洞社区 is making up for the lack of nursing professionals.
According to Phyllis Jacobs, assistant professor and director of undergraduate curriculum at the School of Nursing, the accelerated program was created to help alleviate the nursing shortage, particularly in Wichita, one of the largest health care communities in Kansas.
The program also addresses the waiting lists for the traditional baccalaureate nursing classes.
Students involved benefit by being able to start their careers in a shorter period of time.
鈥淎ccelerated students take the same courses and have the same number of hours in the clinical areas as traditional students,鈥� Jacobs said. 鈥淕raduates from the accelerated program will be equally as well prepared as those graduating from the traditional BSN program.鈥�
The program is considered self-funded, which means the $20,000 students pay in tuition covers all program costs. Proceeds from tuition fund three full-time faculty, part-time clinical instructors and support staff.
To be accepted into the program, students must have a 3.0 GPA and a bachelor鈥檚 or higher degree in another field or 90 hours of college credit.
Chris Pelton, one of the first students admitted into the program, said he enrolled because of the shorter time period.
鈥淚 enjoy the challenge,鈥� he said.
The program is structured differently from the traditional, which lasts 24 months. The accelerated curriculum lasts only 15 months, so there is no downtime between being in class and being at a clinic.
鈥淭he accelerated program is nonstop,鈥� Pelton said. 鈥淔or some, the program is more difficult due to the intense nature of the schedule.鈥�
Jacobs said students need to adjust to the fast pace of the program, and she advises them not to have an hourly job because they will be busy with class, clinical experience and study.
鈥淚n the beginning, the schedule was hectic,鈥� Pelton said. 鈥淚 think everyone had to adjust to this new idea of being in school sometimes for 40 hours a week.鈥�
The majority of students鈥� time is spent in the classroom. Students are in the hospital, or clinical setting, for eight hours on Mondays.
鈥淩ight now, we are at Wesley hospital,鈥� Pelton said. 鈥淐linical is about working with patients and nurses to learn.鈥�
Before enrolling in the program, Pelton worked as a phlebotomist drawing blood for lab specimens at a Wichita laboratory. He chose to major in nursing because he enjoys working with people.
鈥淚 love the interaction and the variety that it brings,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is a profession that involves caring about people.鈥�
His mentor, John Coslett, chief nursing officer at the Kansas Spine Hospital, first introduced him to nursing.
鈥淗e answered all of my questions and told me about his experiences and career,鈥� Pelton said. 鈥淚t really appealed to me and influenced me in my decision to go into the program.鈥�
Pelton has been given support from his family and close friends, and the students and faculty in the program. He said being in smaller classes helped him get to know his teachers.
鈥淭hey have always been very supportive of us and understanding of our needs,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne of the benefits of being in a smaller program is that they are not afraid of trying new learning techniques.鈥�
Cara Metzinger, another student in the accelerated nursing program, said she wanted to get her life started in a career she loves.
She said her schedule is hectic, but Virginia Teel, assistant professor and director of the program, maps out the students鈥� schedules in the beginning.
鈥淲e have some of the most amazing professors I have ever had,鈥� Metzinger said. 鈥淭hey truly enjoy nursing and are passionate about teaching what they know to us.鈥�
Metzinger leans on family and friends for support. She said her mother, who attended 黑洞社区 for nursing, understands what she鈥檚 experiencing and the struggles she faces.
鈥淢y parents are the backbone of my ability to stay calm and in control of my life right now,鈥� she said.
Before enrolling in the program, she volunteered as a pre-nursing student at the Kansas Medical Center.
鈥淚 was able to circulate to all the different areas they have,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd see what the nurse does on a daily basis.鈥�
Metzinger toyed with the idea of attending medical school, but after going through the nursing program, she has found her place.
鈥淚t is a perfect match for my energy level and caring personality,鈥� she said.
She loves working with children and would enjoy the neonatal ICU, pediatrics or the labor and delivery areas of nursing.
鈥淚 have always been a caregiver,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was ingrained in me at a young age, and I am finally ready to follow that calling.鈥�
Because of this program, which accepts 30 students each year, the university is able to enroll additional students in the original nursing curriculum. 黑洞社区 is graduating more prepared nurses, which benefits the community.