ASC-TSJC Nursing program expands

On the heels of a large nursing scholarship grant, the presidents of Adams State College and Trinidad State Junior College has discussed the progress and future of their collaborative nursing program, launched in 2004. The colleges’ presidents, Dr. David Svaldi and Ruth Ann Woods, respectively, both assumed their positions last year.

Nursing students at both schools who plan to practice in the San Luis Valley will benefit from a $45,000 grant announced yesterday by El Pomar Foundation’s Penrose Nonprofit Institute.

Vicki Brownrigg, RN, FNP, PhD, ASC director of nursing education, said the scholarship will aid nursing students who otherwise could not afford to take as many classes. “I see it helping in allowing students to take three nursing classes instead of one,” she said.

National nursing accreditation is on the horizon, and Adams State will graduate its first Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) recipients next December, Svaldi said. He and Woods said they are looking forward to the April accreditation visit by the Collegiate Commission for Nursing Education.

“National accreditation of our BSN program will benefit both institutions,” Brownrigg added.

With 50 students now enrolled in nursing or pre-nursing courses, the program aims to increase the number of both practicing nurses and nurse educators in the San Luis Valley. Enrollment expanded this semester to include nurses from Salida and Trinidad, Svaldi noted. Ultimately, the region’s residents will benefit from improved health care.

Colorado’s nursing shortage is twice the national average, at 11 percent. The situation is even more acute in rural areas. Three of the six SLV counties have the lowest proportion of registered nurses to their population in Colorado. The Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence estimates the shortage will nearly triple by 2020, unless there is a significant increase in the number of nursing students and educators.

The joint nursing program received a major boost this summer, with the award of a 3-year, $330,048 Health Professions Initiative Grant from the Colorado Trust. The grant funded the addition of two nursing faculty members at Adams State, providing greater mentoring for program faculty and allowing time for TSJC instructors to upgrade their qualifications. Program faculty teach on both campuses.

"These joint appointments allow for mentoring and collaboration between the faculty of both institutions and enhance the educational experience for the students,” said Dr. Frank Novotny, interim provost at Adams State. “This will result in a better transition of students from the RN program into the BSN."

Adams State’s BSN program offers the second half of a bachelor’s degree to students with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN.) BSN nurses are qualified for broader career options and higher salaries.

The major difference between the BSN and ADN is not hospital skills, but a more complete background in physical and social sciences and a deeper understanding of nursing theory and nursing research, and of their application to everyday practice of nursing.

The collaborative aspect of the nursing program provides a number of benefits to students. They take classes at both Adams State and TSJC, Valley Campus. The majority of clinical work occurs in the first two years. In addition, they have formed the ASC Student Nurse Association, affiliated with the National Student Nurses Association. Nursing students at either school may consolidate their financial aid process through Adams State. Both have access to nursing library resources at Adams State’s Nielsen Library. In addition, Adams State provides office space and a computer for TSJC instructors.

The nursing program’s success has prompted the colleges to explore other collaborations, such as a two-year program in construction management, and a four-year degree to prepare industrial arts teachers for public schools.

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