BCU Recognizes “National Nursing Week”

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – In recognition of Nursing Week, May 6 – 12, Briar Cliff University announces online nursing courses for registered nurses who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing and the admission of a new cohort in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program.

“With the current nursing shortage, there is a critical need for nurses right now,” said Richard Petersen, Ed.D., M.S.N., C.N.E., R.N., professor of nursing and chair of the BCU nursing department.  “Briar Cliff provides some relief to this issue by offering nursing students many flexible program options, which allow them to enhance their knowledge and skills and to pursue rewarding nursing careers,” Petersen said. “In the Fall 2008 term at Briar Cliff, we will have another flexible solution with the addition of online nursing courses,” he explained. Nursing courses in the RN-BSN program will begin to be offered online in fall 2008.

One example of how BCU is helping to relieve the nursing shortage is Jerod Nikkel, who plans to be an intensive care nurse after he graduates with his Bachelor of Science in Nursing. When Nikkel, a junior nursing major at BCU, decided to continue his education to acquire a BSN, he enrolled in BCU’s nursing program and all his previous college credits transferred along with him. “The thing that surprised me the most was that my BCU class schedule worked well with my other commitments,” said Nikkel. “The BSN Program at Briar Cliff gave me a new outlook on life,” said Nikkel. “Once I complete my degree, I know I will have a world of opportunities available to me,” he said.

Robin Gordon, a single mother works full-time as a public health nurse while taking full-time classes at Briar Cliff to complete her BSN. Gordon, an RN-BSN student at BCU, plans to use her BSN degree to raise awareness on wellness and healthcare among the American Indian population.  “I want to use my degree and education to help American Indians become healthier,” said Gordon. “Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease plague many American Indians across the country.”

BCU graduate student Diane Smith is getting a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with the hope of becoming a nurse educator.  “I want to teach others about nursing,” Smith said. “I have always enjoyed helping others. When I graduated high school, there was a need for nurses and this discipline met my calling,” said Smith. “Now I feel the need to give back and to support my profession by becoming a nurse educator.”

Established at Briar Cliff in 2004, BCU’s MSN program received full accreditation from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) in July 2007. The program was granted accreditation for five years, the maximum time period awarded for initial accreditation.

All members of the university’s first graduating class of Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) in the Master of Science in Nursing program successfully passed the certification examination through the American Nurses Credentialing Center the first time.“This 100% success rate is a testament to the fine students in our first graduating class and to the academic excellence Briar Cliff offers in the Masters of Science in Nursing program,” said Petersen. In addition to the Family Nurse Practitioner course of study, Briar Cliff’s MSN Program offers the Nurse Educator track, which prepares nurses to teach in an academic setting.

The university is hosting MSN information sessions from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 13 and June 10, 2008. For more information on Briar Cliff University’s nursing programs, or to attend an MSN information session, contact Cheryl Olson at 1-800-662-3303 ext. 1777, or email cheryl.olson@briarcliff.edu.

Briar Cliff University is a Catholic institution with an enrollment of more than 1,100 students from 26 states and four countries.  Students are educated in the Franciscan tradition of excellence in the liberal arts and career preparation in an environment of care and compassion. For more information, please visit www.briarcliff.edu.