MSU President's Column for Traill County Tribune

April 6, 2019

Opportunities at Mayville State assist with shortage of nurses

Mayville State University is assisting with the shortage of nurses, locally, regionally, and beyond. We partner with Lake Region State College (LRSC) to offer opportunities for students who wish to study nursing on the Mayville State campus. In addition, Mayville State’s RN-to-BSN online nursing program is offering opportunities for people, no matter where they are located, to earn bachelor’s degrees in nursing.

Mayville State University works closely with LRSC and the Dakota Nursing Program (DNP) in the education of nurses by providing pre-requisite courses for their practical and associate degree nursing programs, both of which are offered on campus at Mayville State University. Mayville State has provided classroom space in Old Main for the DNP courses for the past several years.

Last summer, space on the third floor of Old Main was renovated to provide updated and accessible classroom space for the DNP students. We’re excited to announce that a grand opening of this space will be held on Wednesday, April 24. An open house will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and a short program will begin at 5 p.m. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for this celebration. Several Lake Region State College and Mayville State representatives will participate, as will nursing students.

Since Mayville State works so closely with LRSC and DNP on the practical and associate degree options, offering a bachelor’s degree program was a logical next step. This allows us to work in concert with Lake Region, the DNP, and others offering nursing programs to provide the best possible program at Mayville.

In the summer of 2013, the State Board of Higher Education granted Mayville State approval to proceed with a proposed RN-to-BSN nursing program. MSU subsequently received approval from its regional accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission, and from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The program got off to a great start and has grown tremendously. The first cohort of students completed their studies at the end of the fall semester of 2015 and there has been a steady stream of graduates in every semester since.

We are excited to know that our RN-to-BSN program has just joined the Xi-Kappa-at-Large Chapter of Sigma, an honor society for nurses who are leaders in the profession. In addition, three of our students were inducted into the society. Sigma is an honor society whose members are leaders at all levels in the healthcare industry. The mission of Sigma is advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. The Xi-Kappa-at-Large Chapter distributes scholarships and holds an induction ceremony annually, facilitates education events in the fall and spring, and helps to facilitate other activities.

Mayville State’s RN-to-BSN online nursing program is designed to assist current full time practicing registered nurses in pursuing baccalaureate degrees in nursing while maintaining their current employment and providing support to their families. Because of the nursing shortage in North Dakota and the need to retain nurses in the healthcare setting, healthcare facilities can’t afford to give their employees time off to pursue advanced education. By offering online courses, each in five-week blocks, registered nurses are able to meet their educational goals one to two classes at a time while continuing to contribute to the healthcare workforce.

Through the RN-to-BSN online nursing program Mayville State is educating nurses at the baccalaureate degree level in order to equip them to better serve the healthcare needs of the citizens of North Dakota and beyond. The need for nurses is especially great in rural areas, including our own. The program benefits all of us by supplying much-needed nursing staff for our local, area, and regional healthcare facilities, as well as facilities nationwide.