Educational Policies Committee

Tuesday, February 8, 2005

 

Members Present: Corinne Winter, David O’Connell, Ragene Gwin, Bill Hixon, Tom Hill, Martin Hansen Brenda Peters, Jeremy Burke, Dan Zeimet, Barb Wiese,

Kim Bennett, Kari Rogers, Paul Koch 

 

Excused: Mara Adams

 

Guests: Sharon Marquard, Kathryn McKnight, Janet Ehslein, Delores Hilden

 

 

1. Approval of Minutes

 

Motion to approve the minutes of February 1, 2005: R. Gwin; Second: B. Hixon

No discussion or corrections.

Minutes approved

 

 

2. Department of Nursing: 5-Year Review

 

Motion to approve: T. Hill; Second: R. Gwin

 

D. Hilden highlighted the proposed changes (included below in boldface type):

  • Mission statement was aligned with that of the University.
  • Bachelor degree changes were earlier approved by EPC.
  • Admissions policy changes raise standards for transfer students.
  • Work experience requirements are increased.
  • Malpractice policy requirement: Students now need to buy a policy on their own.
  • Graduate program hopes to be starting in the fall. Mission statement and goals are already developed.
  • Other changes involve updating prerequisites and requirements for inclusion in the new catalog.

 

Proposed Changes as submitted by the Nursing Department:

A. Request and justify any courses to be added

·         Rename NURS 150 – Introduction to Nursing.  New Name: NURS 150 – Professional Role Development.

Add WI to NURS 300 Health and Physical Assessment

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE: The second sentence above to be revised: “The faculty assumes the responsibility to education baccalaureate and graduate nurses within the framework of St. Ambrose University’s Christian beliefs and values.”

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE NEW PARAGRAPH:  The Department of Nursing offers a Bachelors of Nursing to students who hold a previous college degree.  These students must fulfill the required nursing support courses in addition to the major.”

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE:

Admission Policy:

Admission to St. Ambrose University and apply to the Nursing Department

Basic Students:

o        High School GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the following high school subjects:

English, Math, Sciences, Social Sciences, and Foreign language.

o        An ACT score of 21 or higher or an SAT of 990 or higher

If applicant ACT/SAT score or GPA is below SAU standard for nursing, student may petition the Department of Nursing’s Admissions Committee.  Applicants not meeting the above criteria may require an interview and approval of nursing department.

OR

Applicants can seek general university admission and complete Biology 101, Chemistry 103, Math 151, Psychology 101, Biology 106 and general education courses.  Students who achieve an SAU GPA of 2.8 may reapply.

Transfer Students:

o        GPA of 2.6 on a 4.0 scale; GPA of 3.0 at time of progression to junior level.

Students without a 2.6 GPA on admission to SAU may apply to the Department of Nursing after one semester of 2.8 at SAU.  The petition process is the same as above.

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE: Under the section on Program Progression, Basic Student (Unlicensed),please add:

“Progression to the senior level is also qualified by whether the student has attained 80 hours of work experience in a nursing environment.  If the student cannot demonstrate completion of clinical work experience by May 1 of the junior spring semester the student will not progress to the senior level.  Work experience should include repeated application of nursing skills learned in Nursing 160.  The work experience will be verified by nursing faculty.”

 

RN students must provide documentation of their malpractice insurance coverage to the Administrative Assistant at the start of the nursing program and after each renewal.  RNs without individual coverage may request to be covered with basic students in the group malpractice insurance policy provided they make this request at the time of registration.

RECOMMENDED CHANGE:  Delete the last sentence in the paragraph above.

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE: N150 Course Title changed to:  Professional Role Development.

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE: N300 approved for Writing Intensive.  Add WI to the front, “WI Nurs 300”

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE:  For Nurs 310: Current catalog deleted the 3 credits for RN.  Please add beneath 4 credits (3 credits RN)

 

Recommended Change: N353 prerequisite change:  Prerequisites: Nurs 260, 300, 310; Co-requisite: Pharm 320

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE: N355 Prerequisite change:  Delete Pharm 320 as prerequisite

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE: NURS 410 prerequisite change:  Co-requisites: Completion of nursing course work at the first year, sophomore, and junior levels and NURS 400 at the senior level.

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE: N420 prerequisite change:   Co-requisite: NURS 400

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE:  N460 Current catalog deleted RN credits.  Please add beneath 8 credits, “(4 credits RN)”

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE: NURS 470 prerequisite change:  Co-requisite: NURS 400

 

RECOMMENDED CHANGE: Nurs 480 prerequisite change: Co-requisite: Nurs 400

 

Discussion and suggestions by EPC:

  • Grading scale: Eliminate D+ (not used at SAU).
  • Clarification of terms:  Basic students vs. first year students?  Both refer to pre-licensure students. RN students are a different group.
  • Skill and attitude sheets: What is meant by developing an aesthetic sense? This includes having students produce posters, videos, or brochures for professional presentations. It also involves being aware of clean-up of personal work areas and when to and not to use music in surgery or in preemie nursery.
  • Malpractice insurance: Previously covered under an SAU policy at a cost of $15 paid by each student. This is no longer available.  Students are encouraged to buy their own policy to cover work done outside of SAU classes or even for informal advice they may give to others.
  • All courses are internally evaluated on a 10-year cycle within the Nursing Department.
  • PHARM 320: Will be included in the next 5-year review for the Nursing Department so that it is not an “orphan” course.  Dan Zeimet has a master list in the system that shows ownership for all courses across campus.
  • B. Peters has accepted the nursing courses matrices as meeting the general education requirements for the skills, attitudes, and values components.

 

Motion approved.

 

D. Hilden mentioned that this last year’s group of students achieved the highest scores in the state on their licensure tests.

 

 

3. Upcoming agenda discussed.

 

Feb. 15 - No meeting

Feb. 22 – Music Department 5-year Review

Mar. 1 – Educational Leadership Proposal (material not yet received)

              Discussion with the Deans about EPC and minors

 

Motion to adjourn: B. Hixon;  Second: D. O’Connell

 

Adjournment: 3:55. 

 

Submitted by Barb Wiese