LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Galen College of Nursing announced today that it will offer a master of science in nursing, with a specialization in nursing education, in the fall of 2019. With the recent approval of its accrediting body to offer degrees at the master’s level, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the college supports the ever-increasing need for advanced degree nurse educators, critical to the future of nursing.
The program will prepare graduates to teach in academic settings, as well as to lead and support staff development and continuing education within clinical facilities.
“As a single-purpose nursing college, we believe this program offering serves as a strategy to help decrease the growing faculty shortage, which contributes to fewer students who can enroll in nursing programs,” said Tracy Ortelli, Galen’s executive vice president, postlicensure nursing. “Additional options we are considering include an executive nurse leader track, a nurse practitioner track, post master’s certificate programs, and dual credit course offerings for our baccalaureate students. These types of programs will help prepare nurses to thrive in a diverse and ever-changing healthcare environment.”
The online MSN Nurse Educator track will be 36-semester credits that can be completed in 14 months, with courses offered over 8-week terms. Students will also be immersed in the full scope of the educator role through practicum experiences in an educational or healthcare setting. The curriculum is based on the National League for Nursing (NLN) Core Competencies of Nurse Educators and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing, and prepares graduates to educate those who wish to enter or advance in the nursing profession.
The demand for nurses is growing steadily as the general population ages and an increasing number of nurses approach retirement age. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that job opportunities for nurses will grow by 15 percent by the year 2026, which is more than double the average rate for all occupations. This high level of growth in the field will make the role of nurse educators even more crucial well into the foreseeable future.
Said Dr. Joan Frey, academic president, “Galen is excited to introduce a program that supports the growing need for continuing education and professional development within the country’s largest healthcare employee segment. Nurses prepared not only to teach in an academic setting, but to lead clinical education and help shape health policy are essential to the provision of quality care in our country.”
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