photo provided by Stark State College
The University of Akron School of Nursing
While The University of Akron’s traditional, four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is the second largest educational option for nurses in Northeast Ohio, the college still prides itself on maintaining low student-instructor ratios. “Almost all of our faculty still practice at the bedside,” says Timothy W. Meyers, executive director of nursing and associate dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences.
What to Expect: UA’s program offers options for both undergraduate (traditional and accelerated BSN, Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN and Registered Nurse to BSN) and graduate students (Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and BSN to DNP for nurse anesthesia), as well as several certifications, including for child and adolescent health care. “We are the best anesthesia program in the nation based upon our pass rates, our retention rates and the cost of our program,” Meyers says. UA’s varied offerings allow a multitude of students to earn their education, from those first entering college to those who hold a previous degree.
Sample Class: In students’ second clinical course, NURS 212, students on the BSN track learn foundational elements such as bathing patients and changing wound dressings — skills nurses in any specialty require. Medical surgical nurses, for example, might need to take care of patients with hip wounds, while an obstetrics nurse may need to monitor abdominal wounds from cesarean sections. “If you’ve ever been a patient, you want a provider who can clearly do the skill well and on the first attempt,” Meyers says.
What Students Learn: According to Meyers, UA offers the highest number of required clinical hours of any program in the area — almost 800 hours of hands-on care for undergraduate students through hospitals such as Summa Health locations and Akron Children’s Hospital. UA also emphasizes lab work — students continue labs even after the traditional drop-off point of sophomore year. “We know that it’s essential for our students to continue to have lab experience so they can make the technical skills — like putting an IV in or putting a Foley catheter in, or emptying an ostomy bag — second nature,” Meyers says. “You, as a nurse, have to be able to do that while also thinking about the totality of the patient.”
Kent State University College of Nursing
While the Kent State University College of Nursing may be large, according to associate dean Tracey Motter, it’s also focused on personalization and meeting individual student needs: Students have the same academic adviser throughout their education. “In even our online programs, our faculty know their students,” Motter says. “Students have access to faculty. We truly believe that a student graduating is a partnership.”
What to Expect: Kent State students can choose from a multitude of programs, both undergraduate (traditional and accelerated BSN degrees, LPN to BSN and RN to BSN) and graduate (MSN, Ph.D., Post Master’s Certificates and DNP). All faculty members hold master’s or doctoral degrees and teach within their areas of practice. “Only qualified faculty with experience teach in the clinical areas,” Motter says.
Sample Class: Because Kent State also has a theater program, its medical simulation labs can include the work of student actors. The actors portray patients experiencing difficult medical conditions, such as manic episodes. For Advanced Medical Surgical Simulation, an interprofessional class, a simulation with actors recreates delicate situations like terminal cancer treatment onstage in Kent State’s ballroom. For example, BSN, MSN and Northeast Ohio Medical University students view a scene in which providers utilize poor communication skills. Students then work in groups to recommend proper therapeutic communication techniques, and the scene is run again with those approaches — the actors adjusting their reactions accordingly. “Dealing with end of life can be stressful no matter what, so our aims are to help them recognize their own beliefs … to feel as comfortable as possible and to know what to say and what not to say,” Motter says.
What Students Learn: After selecting their clinical areas, students work with health care providers to gain hands-on experience in fields such as pediatric and psychiatric care. They’re encouraged to visit different sites — like Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals locations — to see which fits them best, eventually completing a period of practicum work in which they’re matched with a nurse working on the floor. “They work their schedule for their final semester to help them transition to practice,” Motter says. She emphasizes the importance of a holistic look at nursing. “We’re not just here to educate — we’re here to turn you into a professional nurse,” Motter says. “And that means more than just giving you a test. It means learning how to communicate, make clinical judgements that impact patient outcomes and work as a team.”
Stark State College’s Nursing Program
In a fast-paced world, not all students feel a four-year nursing program is a good fit. Those looking for an alternative may find Stark State College’s offerings to be just right. “Sometimes students that want to go up a ladder, they need to take a few steps at a time,” says Andrea Price, department chair and program coordinator for nursing at Stark State. Though the program may be shorter, it’s still rigorous — practical nursing students start clinicals within their first few weeks.
What to Expect: The community college offers two main pathways for students: a two-semester LPN program and a more traditional Associate Degree in Nursing. (It also offers an LPN to RN program and a paramedic program.) Stark State’s LPN students boast a 100 percent first-time National Council Licensure Examination pass rate. “Our practical nurses are getting jobs within hospitals in the area,” Price says. “There’s an increased need for Licensed Practical Nurses now following COVID.”
Sample Class: Concepts of Nursing Practice in the Care of Patients Across the Lifespan with Complex Conditions, the final course in Stark State’s ADN program, includes lecture, lab and clinical components. Students learn to care for patients with complex needs such as sepsis. Utilizing high-fidelity simulators and faculty actors, students can prepare for real-world care by running through different scenarios. “Those students are going to be learning, in a simulated setting, what the priorities of care would be for that patient,” Price says.
What Students Learn: Starting clinicals early is a beneficial move for students, Price says — allowing them to put their lab and classroom skills to practice in a real-world setting. “It makes the learning experience more authentic and more applicable, for the students but also for the educators — we’re able to evaluate them a lot more effectively,” Price says. Students in both the LPN and ADN programs work in health care institutions such as Summa Health to learn basic skills: taking vital signs, testing blood pressure, checking a patient’s respiratory rate and more. Stark State instructors also emphasize communication. “We evaluate their ability to communicate with patients therapeutically, with family members, but also being a member of the health care team,” Price says. In today’s health care industry, she notes, LPNs have more responsibility than they used to — and higher salaries.
