Mississippi State University-Meridian’s inaugural Accelerated Master of Science in Nursing cohort launched a weeklong orientation last week, kicking off its enrollment in the rigorous School of Nursing program that will prepare students for RN licensure in 12 months.
Thirty-six students, including six from other states and all with varying academic degree backgrounds, compose the School of Nursing’s first cohort which began classes Monday. The program is the first direct-entry program to RN licensure in the state.
They were welcomed to MSU-Meridian’s downtown Riley Campus by MSU President Mark E. Keenum and Dean of Nursing Mary Stewart.
Keenum said launching the new program has been a team effort, and he thanked The Riley Foundation, as well as the School of Nursing faculty, staff and students who “have made an incredible commitment to make the world a better place by helping people.”
Stewart and the other AMSN faculty and staff have prepared a strong program, Keenum said, preparing students to be career-ready to care for patients and improve health outcomes for fellow Mississippians.
“There are three timeless values we hold dear at Mississippi State—integrity, hard work and respect,” Keenum said. “Our School of Nursing faculty and staff epitomize these values, and they have worked tirelessly to develop a robust curriculum that will prepare you to be practice-ready nurses.”
The students will begin the fast-track program with the weeklong intensive course, Professionalism I: Socialization into Nursing, and from there will move into courses in physical examination, foundational clinical skills and foundational clinical judgment.
“The class is primarily second-career,” said Program Director Kayla Carr, adding that entering students possess professional backgrounds in healthcare ranging from education to social work, speech language pathology, dental assisting, respiratory therapy and sports training. “We’re also welcoming several licensed practical nurses. We have students with backgrounds in marketing, sales, anthropology, research and natural sciences.”
Seven students already possess master’s degrees and two have doctorates, Carr said, with an overall average class GPA of 3.3.
The students will engage in faculty-supervised clinicals from the first week of the program through mid-semester, Carr said. After their clinical induction ceremony, students will transition into mentored clinicals at facilities in Lauderdale County. The fall term concludes with a second intensive course, Nursing Science.
AMSN students also will benefit from MSU-Meridian’s new Interprofessional Simulation Program which features six clinical exam rooms, six medical surgical rooms, computer learning stations, a proctor area for facilitator observation and five pre-briefing and debriefing rooms with recording and reviewing capabilities.
The MSU School of Nursing was approved by the Board of Trustees of the State of Institutions of Higher Learning in May in a bold move toward addressing Mississippi’s critical healthcare personnel shortages by expanding education.
Steps to national accreditation continue this fall. The program is expected to grow to accommodate up to 60 students.