EMBODYING THE CHANGE: THE RN-BSN PROGRAM By Victoria Martineau Heim
RN-BSN graduates prepare for the December 2019 Pinning Ceremony.
The RN-BSN program at James Madison University truly reflects “Being the Change.” With three key factors at the heart of the university’s vision— engaged learning, civic engagement and community engagement—the RN-BSN program not only embodies all three of these elements, but has become a model for online learning within the university, offering access to communities across Virginia and beyond. Initiated during the 2004-2005 academic year as a part of the School of Nursing’s carefully phased strategic plan for growth, the RN-BSN program launched in 2006 with a total of eight students. The program developed as a partnership between the then Department of Nursing and the Office of Outreach & Engagement (now the Office of Professional & Continuing Education), which offers access to higher education and support to the community. This partnership provides the RN-BSN program with the unique ability to offer a second bachelor’s degree to graduates of other disciplines looking to enter the 27
SCHOOL OF NURSING MAGAZINE
nursing profession, and is the only academic program at JMU to do so. It was also one of the first programs to utilize the online education format, giving non-traditional students the opportunity to pursue an undergraduate degree. The RN-BSN program maintained slow but steady growth over the next few years, but experienced a significant rise in enrollment in 2010, when local hospitals Sentara Rockingham Memorial Hospital and Augusta Health announced they would seek voluntary “Magnet” hospital accreditation. To gain this accreditation, hospitals encouraged RN’s with associate degrees to complete their BSN degrees and nurse managers to complete MSN degrees. Combined with the AACN’s national initiative to increase the BSN workforce to 80% by the year 2020, the RN-BSN program’s growth continued through the last decade. In 2013, student numbers rose when the program moved to an online format, providing nurses from across the state with the opportunity to meet Magnet
requirements of completing their BSN. In the last two years, the expansion has increased with a growing number of out-of-state students choosing the JMU RN-BSN program to complete their degree, as well as the inclusion of associate degree students in the recently developed co-enrollment program. Additionally, faculty and staff continue to evolve the students’ experience within the program to meet the needs of a new, more diverse nursing population. Since August 2006, 413 nurses have earned their bachelor’s degree through the RN-BSN program. “We strive to meet the needs of our students, as we appreciate they come from many different backgrounds and are usually employed full-time,” current program coordinator Karen Jagiello (‘06MSN) shared. “We hope that they will grow their professional practice through the learning they receive in this program. Our goal is to provide another layer of learning that will support them throughout their careers as they seek growth opportunities and remain life-long learners.”
