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Vail Daily | Tuesday, May 14, 2013 | Section B
Colorado Health Foundation awards CMC grant to support potential bachelor’s in nursing
opportunities By Stefanie Kilts Special to the Daily
EAGLE COUNTY — The Colorado Health Foundation has awarded Colorado Mountain College a two-year grant of $559,276 to seed the proposed new Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. “We are thrilled, excited and grateful to have the opportunity to advance the educational opportunity for practicing RNs, CMC nursing students and graduates, and to improve the quality and access to health care in our communities,” said Betty DamaskBembenek, Colorado Mountain College director of nursing education. Since the mid-1990s, Colorado Mountain College has offered the Associate of Applied Science degree in nursing, which enables graduates to be eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam to obtain a license as a registered nurse. A bachelor’s degree in nursing provides the education that can open up opportunities for greater career advancement and higher salary options. After extensive surveys and data collection showed an unmet demand for bachelor’s degrees in the mountain communities served by Colorado Mountain College, in 2010 the college received authorization from the state legislature, Colorado Department of Higher Education and accrediting body the Higher Learning Commission to offer up to five bachelor’s degrees. “A Bachelor’s of Science in nursing is one of the degrees we’ve been studying for some time,” said Dr. Brad Tyndall, senior vice president for academic affairs at the college. “There is strong demand in our communities, but we’re also studying how we can set up the financial resources to sustainably run a successful program. We’re extremely grateful for the support this grant provides.”
ED KOSMICKI | SPECIAL TO THE DAILY
Nursing students working toward an associate degree practice IV techniques in a class at Colorado Mountain College. The college is studying the feasibility of adding a Bachelor of Science in nursing, with support from a grant from the Colorado Health Foundation.
NURSING DEGREE AMONG THOSE BEING DEVELOPED As was the process for offering bachelor’s degrees in business administration and sustainability studies, a robust series of internal approvals will be required if the college is to offer a bachelor’s degree in nursing. If internal approvals are met, then the college will seek external approvals from the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission. Once the approval process has been completed, depending on the approval timeline, hiring of faculty and development of classes, Colorado Mountain College could potentially introduce the new degrees in the fall of 2014. “The RN to BSN degree program would build upon the associate degree nursing knowledge base with a focus on safe, quality patient-centered care outcomes while integrating research and creating an emphasis on health promotion, prevention and population-based care,” Damask-Bembenek said. The proposed degree would allow for 30 additional RN-BSN students to enroll per semester and up to 60 per year. Colorado Mountain College currently receives
NURSING DEGREE, B3
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Betty DamaskBembenek, right, the director of nursing education at Colorado Mountain College, answers a question from nursing student Erica Getty, of Avon. The college is studying the feasibility of adding a Bachelor of Science in nursing to the associate degrees it now offers. SPECIAL TO THE DAILY