U.S. News & World Report names online nursing program as best in country
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – CHARLESTON, SC (January 8, 2015) – The MUSC College of Nursing’s online graduate nursing program has earned the top spot on U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs. The public nursing school received a perfect score of 100 and earned high marks for faculty training and student engagement. To view the rankings, visit http://www.usnews.com/
“This is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of the dedication of our faculty and staff to make our educational programs the best in the country,” said Gail Stuart, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing dean. “It is a high honor for MUSC and the state of South Carolina to be ranked number one in the nation.”
The publication’s best online rankings were introduced in 2012 to provide prospective students an overview of the rapidly growing number of institutions that offer online education programs. Since then, the number of ranked programs has increased twofold, from 677 online programs in 2012 to more than 1,200 this year. For the online graduate nursing program rankings, U.S. News & World Report collected statistical information from 133 nursing schools with online programs from July 2014 until September 2014. This number is up from 130 schools surveyed in 2014.
So what sets MUSC’s online nursing program apart from the rest? According to Georgette Smith, Ph.D., associate dean for academics, it’s rooted in a deep commitment to student success and role-modeling of real-world nursing experiences in education, research and practice. “We want our graduates to become independent, advanced practice nurses who practice to their full potential and also lead change in health care delivery. We have developed an innovative and rigorous asynchronous online curriculum that builds critical thinking through self-reflection throughout the program,” she said. “Our graduates are able to develop practice expertise, identify gaps in practice and generate new knowledge that reflects a nursing and transdisciplinary perspective that will inform health care systems, health policy, and evidence based practice.”
In addition to the MUSC College of Nursing’s online graduate nursing programs, the school began to offer an online Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) degree to registered nurses in fall 2014 due to an increasing demand from hospitals to hire nurses with a higher level of education.
The MUSC College of Nursing offers online programs that award a Master of Science in nursing (MSN) degree, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nursing degree. More than 300 students were enrolled in the MSN, DNP, and PhD programs in fall 2014.
An upcoming application deadline for the MUSC College of Nursing’s online DNP and RN to BSN programs is March 15. Learn more about MUSC’s nursing programs visitwww.musc.edu/nursing.
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About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the south. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC is home to over 3,000 students and residents, as well as nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. The MUSC College of Nursing educates over 550 students in baccalaureate, masters and doctoral programs. www.musc.edu/nursing.
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