UA Forming Nursing Partnership With Southeast Alabama Hospital, Community College

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Advanced nursing degrees are within easier reach of southeast Alabama registered nurses thanks to a new Internet-based partnership among Southeast Alabama Medical Center, Wallace Community College and The University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Nursing.

In a ceremony today at the Medical Center, SAMC’s Vicki Darnell, vice president, Patient Care Services, joined Wallace Community College’s John Fergus, dean of academic affairs and health sciences; Kathy Buntin, coordinator of health sciences, and Dr. Sara Barger, dean of UA’s College of Nursing, in signing agreements outlining the partnership to provide registered nurses with access to either a bachelor’s degree or both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

“Southeast Alabama Medical Center is proud of its ongoing partnerships with Wallace College and The University of Alabama,” said Darnell. “We are committed to the development, growth and retention of our RN and LPN nursing staff here at the Medical Center, and the RN Mobility program will serve as a vital resource for doing just that. The advanced educational training available to our nurses also furthers our philosophy of compassion and excellence coming together to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.”

“Interest in degree advancement among area registered nurses has increased each year since the original partnership agreement in 2001 between The University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Nursing and Wallace Community College,” said Buntin. “At present, more than 50 RNs are enrolled at WCC to pursue completion of the academic requirements for RN to BSN mobility.”

Dr. Jeanette VanderMeer, assistant professor in the Capstone College of Nursing and coordinator of RN Mobility, said the agreement is designed to provide nurses more options and flexibility in earning advanced degrees while improving communication between local entities and UA.

Through the use of the Internet, nurses can complete the nursing courses in one year, without facing the restrictions of being in class on a specific time and day. Instead, RN students have the flexibility of choosing the best time to go online and complete the requirements. Clinical activities are designed on an individual basis, and efforts are made to arrange locations and times convenient to students.

“At a time when the national nursing shortage is creating more demand for working nurses, it is also providing additional opportunities for them,” VanderMeer said. “It’s imperative that we offer as much convenience as possible to those interested in earning advanced degrees.”

UA received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for 2004-2007 to expand the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing track. The grant provided state-of-the art laptop computers that can be loaned to students while they are enrolled in the program.

UA has established partnerships with other health care institutions, including St. Vincent’s Hospital, AlaCare Home Health and Hospice and the DCH Health Care System. Partnership agreements also are in place with 10 community colleges in Alabama that offer associate degree programs in nursing.

For more information, contact the UA Office of Nursing Student Services at 205/348-6639, 1-800/313-3591, nursing@bama.ua.edu or the Wallace Community College Coordinator of Health Sciences at 334/983-3521, ext. 2292, or 1-800-543-2426.