Why Study at MUSC College of Nursing?

Academic Success

• Our BSN graduates achieved a 99% pass rate for NCLEX-RN in 2011.
• Our Family Nurse Practitioner graduates achieved a 100% pass rate on their AANP certification exam in 2010.

Customer Satisfaction

• Our students have a 92% graduation rate for 2010-2011.
• Outstanding levels of satisfaction among our students, staff and faculty:
• 97% of our graduating students believe they made the right choice in selecting the MUSC CON.
• 97% of our current students believe they are receiving a high quality education. 
• 90% of our staff are pleased to be working at the MUSC CON.
• 100% of our faculty believe that they made the right choice in selecting the MUSC CON.

Outstanding Faculty

• Of our tenure track faculty, 87% are doctorally prepared.
• 86% of our faculty have received the SC Palmetto Gold Award for Nursing Excellence.

Cutting Edge Technology

• We are a leader in the use of innovative learning technologies and house MUSC's nationally recognized Healthcare Simulation Center where students participate in over 3,000 simulations.

Serve While You Learn

• We are committed to community health partnerships with diverse populations and have established a thriving Center for Community Health Partnerships.

Prestige

• We ranked in the Top 30 nursing programs in NIH funding nationally in 2011.
• We are leading the state in educating over 250 future primary care nurse practitioners and nurse faculty.  Our graduates are the nurse leaders of tomorrow!

College of Nursing Accomplishments 2010-2011

Organizational

• Completed a successful accreditation for the DNP program by CCNE for a full five years without recommendations.
• Initiated the development of the new Technology Center to Enhance Healthful Lifestyles.
• Actively planned for the renovation of the College of Nursing, obtaining architectural drawings and construction estimates, meeting with central administration, and obtaining support for proceeding with renovation plans.
• In spite of ongoing budget reductions, continued to remain financially solvent and ended the year with a positive budget balance.
• Maintained exceptional performance in achieving MUSC Excellence goals and outcomes.

Education

• Attained NCLEX-RN pass rate of 95% for calendar year 2010.
• Achieved a 100% pass rate from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) certification exam for family nurse practitioner.
• Received $1.4 million HRSA Advanced Nursing Education Expansion grant to provide scholarships to 30 primary care nurse practitioner students over 5 years.
• Received $600,000 from the Helene Fuld Trust for scholarships for BSN students. One-half of the amount will be awarded over the first 3 years and the remaining funds will be held as a permanent endowment fund for student scholarships.
• Received $100,000 from the New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program sponsored jointly by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for scholarships for 10 second-degree BSN students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Awarded $654,900 in scholarships to BSN, MSN, DNP and PhD students.
• Achieved 33% minority diversity and 55% overall diversity (includes males) for BSN fall 2010 admissions. The total student minority diversity for CON enrollment in fall 2010 was 14%. An additional 9% were males.
• Revised Undergraduate and DNP/MSN programs to incorporate new curricular guidelines from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) for 2011-2012 implementation.
• College of Nursing students participated in over 3,000 simulation activities in the MUSC Healthcare Simulation Center.

Research

• Ranked in top 50 NIH funding among Colleges of Nursing across the country.
• Achieved 50% success rate with NIH funding in past 4 years (13/26 NIH R, K, supplement submissions funded).
• Funded research grants quadrupled over past 5 years.
• Increased R01 funding increased from 1 to 4 funded grants in past year.
• Increased total grant funding in annual expenditures by 25% from previous year, from $5.5 million to $6.9 million.
• 82% of submitted research grants involve interprofessional collaboration outside the College of Nursing.
• 73% submitted research grants involve inter-institutional collaboration.
• Increased total NIH grant submissions by 20%.
• Increased federal grant submissions by 5%; a total of 59% of all submissions were federal grant submissions.
• Increased requested funds in grant submissions by 15% reflecting grant submissions with expanded scope of work and higher costs. 

Practice

• Integrated 514 student experiences (BSN, MSN, DNP) into practice related activities this academic year: 115 student experiences were from the six MUSC Colleges or other local colleges and universities.
• Faculty practitioners were responsible for 21,686 patient encounters. Students with faculty had an additional 4396 client contacts in community settings.
• Generated a profit of 12% over expenses for the Division of Continuing Nursing Education. 
• Received $865,425 in grant awards for practice initiatives.
• Offered 2 programs during the academic year for students, faculty and staff: 1) Telehealth and Remote Nursing Practice, and 2) Abrazos: An early childhood development program.
• Supported the Center for Community Health Partnerships by assisting with the promotion and staffing of special events, designing posters and editing manuscripts.
• Established faculty incentives using practice funds to support the cost of CPR training and enrollment into the 2 hour CE Controlled Substance Prescribing Course. To date 15 faculty have utilized the CPR option and 2 have taken advantage of the CE offering.

Faculty

• Promoted nine faculty (24%) – an all time high for a single year in the College of Nursing and a reflection of the success of the College’s Development and Mentorship plan.
• Hired three new faculty for the positions of junior researcher, DNP, and endowed chair.
• Prioritized activities based on the mission of the CON and budget by realigning teaching assignments, adding adjunct faculty, and promoting the production of scholarship through an increase in grant funding and publications.
• Actualized the Faculty Development Plan by developing a critical mass of leaders through the implementation of a CON leadership training and succession plan.
• Activated a culture that values diversity through the implementation of a robust multicultural diversity model that focuses on faculty, staff, and student diversity.

College of Nursing Goals 2011-2012

Organizational

• Develop a new 2011-2014 Strategic Plan for the College of Nursing, integrating the elements of the MUSC Strategic Plan.
• Recruit a Director of Development and refocus development activities.
• Work with OCIO to utilize OCIO supported university systems and a new academic warehouse to meet the College of Nursing’s information and database needs.
• Further develop the Technology Center to Enhance Healthful Lifestyles.
• Continue to implement MUSC Excellence achieving majority of goals.
• Begin implementation of a plan for the renovation of the existing CON building.
• Maximize sources of revenue for the College.

Education

• Stabilize increased enrollment levels in all programs.
• Prepare for implementation of curriculum changes based on the Quality and Safety in Nursing Education (QSEN), 2008 BSN Essentials in fall 2012.
• Prepare for curriculum change implementation based on new MSN Essentials in Fall 2012.
• Develop quality indicators for all programs.
• Enhance interdisciplinary learning experience for all students.
• Explore use of student portfolios for PhD students.
• Improve consistency of synchronous communication in PhD program.
• Develop a recruitment plan to increase enrollment of Post-MSN DNP students.
• Develop targeted marketing of PhD and DNP programs to Post BSN students.

Research

• All tenure track research faculty will have a minimum of 1 funded project as PI/Co-PI
• Increase the number of NIH grant submissions by 5%.
• Increase the number of NIH grants funded by 10%.
• Increase total funding (in dollars) by 10%.
• Hire additional junior and senior research faculty in strategic areas (i.e., technology and/or innovation in vulnerable populations).
• Rank in top 40 of NIH funding  (currently 48th).
• Continue to expand interprofessional faculty research development and collaborative opportunities.
• Research faculty will have minimum of 2 publications each per year.
• Assess ways to improve quality doctoral student applications that match faculty interests/research.
• Provide input to funds flow model for research indirects and allocation.

Practice

• Work with the Faculty Practice Committee (FPC) to develop a plan for promoting active clinical practice among faculty through mentoring (rounding), identification of practice opportunities and incentives.
• Offer 2 online ANCC accredited courses on Controlled Substance Prescribing: a 2.0 nursing contact hour course and a 15.0 nursing contact hour course. 
• Develop a plan for a clinical cluster on obesity prevention (healthy eating/active living) within the existing BSN curriculum that incorporates education, practice, and research.
• Work with the Charleston County School District to develop partnership models for faculty practice and student experiences.
• Work with the Office of the Chair to provide learning opportunities for faculty and students on cultural effectiveness. Continue pipeline activities in local high schools and colleges to promote a diverse nursing workforce.

Faculty

• Improve efficiencies through implement of an electronic faculty workload system to automate teaching assignments.
• Amend the workload formula to coincide with the new integrated core curriculum model and online workload efforts.
• Revise the College of Nursing Faculty Development/Mentorship plan to align with the MUSC Mentorship Plan to include a formalized peer review process.
• Activate the College of Nursing diversity plan in accordance with University diversity mission to increase the diversity of student, faculty and staff.

College of Nursing Accreditation

BSN, MSN and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is a resource for the information regarding the Nursing program. Information may be obtained by writing or telephoning them directly at:

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
One Dupont Circle, NW
Suite 530
Washington, DC  20036-1120
Telephone: (202) 887-6791      FAX: (202) 887-8470
http://www.aacn.nche.edu

Undergraduate Program

The Undergraduate Program is fully approved by:
South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Board of Nursing
Synergy Business Park
Kingstree Building
110 Centerview Drive, Suite 202
Columbia, SC 29210

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 12387
Columbia, SC 29211-2367

Phone: (803) 896-4550
FAX: (803) 896-4525
http://www.llr.state.sc.us/

Department of Continuing Education

The Medical University of South Carolina is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 100 West, Washington, DC 20024-2571.

You may contact them by telephone at (800) 274-4ANA or at http://www.nursingworld.org

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Track

The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner track of the masters program is fully approved by the National Certification Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Nurses, 800 South Frederick Avenue, Suite 104, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150.

You may contact them by telephone at (888) 641-2767, by FAX at (301) 330-1504, or on the internet at http://www.pncb.org