Registered nurses (RNs) are the front line of healthcare. In fact, the American Association of Nursing Colleges (AANC) reports that, as of 2023, RNs were the largest single profession in the healthcare industry, with more than 4.7 million RNs across the country. In spite of these impressive numbers, America needs more nurses.
The 2022-23 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, administered by the U.S. Health Services and Resources Administration, estimates that if staffing levels continue as they are now, the nation will face a shortage of 337,970 full-time RNs in 2036. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employers will list 193,100 job openings for RNs every year from 2022–2032.
Here in West Virginia, the need for nurses is already having an impact on care. An August 2023 story from West Virginia Public Radio reported that 19.3% of nursing jobs in the state were vacant. These vacancies can impact the health of whole communities. Dr. Shelley Johnson, Provost and Interim Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences at Salem University says, “we are committed to increasing the number of nurses that we are taking into our programs to help to do our part in the nursing shortage.”
Seeing the Nursing Profession As It Is
Dr. Johnson and her new colleague, Associate Dean of Nursing Dr. Farah Laurent, each bring more than 20 years of varied professional experience to their roles at Salem. Dr. Johnson began her career in community health and psychological nursing, with an emphasis on community participatory research. Dr. Laurent comes from an emergency nursing background, having worked in Canada and New York City before coming to Salem.
Both of them also have extensive leadership and administrative experience in corporate healthcare and higher education. Dr. Johnson has founded two other nursing programs and specializes in improving underperforming programs. Dr. Laurent has been a preceptor, mentor, and clinical nursing educator, working within hospital systems to help develop strategies for supporting and retaining nurses—particularly new nurses.
Both Dr. Laurent and Dr. Johnson believe that staffing and education are the two key challenges facing the nursing profession today—challenges that have been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. While COVID “re-established a sense of pride in nursing,” according to Dr. Laurent, it also highlighted the need to better support new nurses as they transition from college to their clinical role, and the need to better support all nurses so they can provide care without burning out.
Meeting Nursing Students Where They Are
One of the first things Salem’s nursing faculty work to help students understand is the nature of the profession they want to enter—and the discipline they’ll need in their studies. Expectations for nursing students are higher than for other undergraduates, explains Dr. Johnson. “It’s the only [college major] where you are going to be saving lives immediately upon graduation.” Helping students bring their study habits up to the level that nursing success requires is built into the system at Salem, with pre-nursing courses and academic remediation support available.
Salem’s nursing faculty also works with students and their families to ensure there’s support at home as well as in class. “It’s a team effort,” says Dr. Johnson. “Everyone is supporting this student towards the end goal of becoming a nurse.” Another aspect of the program that supports student success is its accessibility.
A Nursing Program Developed for Today
Salem University’s main nursing program is its Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree. While many schools have moved toward the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) as an entry-level qualification, Salem continues to focus on the ASN program because it takes only two years to complete. This shorter time to completion benefits both employers and students. “Many of our hospitals need nurses at the bedside as soon as possible,” says Dr. Johnson. Dr. Laurent adds that for students, finishing in two years means they don’t have to wait as long to be ready to “support their families . . . and then also pay for their school to continue their education.”
What’s more, the ASN is offered in a hybrid format to accommodate students who need to work and care for family members. All the lecture portions of classes take place online. Students come to campus for in-person labs and complete hands-on clinical rotations with area healthcare facilities. “We understand that students need to work,” says Dr. Johnson.
The program also emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration with students from other health sciences programs—after all, nurses don’t just work with other nurses when they care for patients. In addition, ASN students complete preparation for the all-important National Council for Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN).
Throughout the program, they’re taught by faculty with extensive clinical experience. “All of our faculty are still working nurses, so they’re on the cutting edge of what is happening in healthcare,” explains Dr. Johnson.
Finally, Dr. Laurent is keen to point out that the program is affordable. Salem University’s New Student Success Grant makes it possible for nursing students who live in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio or West Virginia to pay the in-state tuition rate of just $475 per credit hour.
Showing Nursing Students Where They Can Go Next
The ASN is the cornerstone of Salem University’s nursing programs: it helps students prepare to care for patients and meet urgent community needs in just two years of flexible hybrid study. However, Salem also provides pathways toward higher nursing degrees.
The online RN to BSN program offers access to coursework that can prepare RNs for higher-responsibility roles, Magnet® hospital employment, and other opportunities. RNs who have at least 500 hours of full-time work experience in nursing can also apply for a prior learning assessment (PLA) that can lead to college credit for work experience. With the PLA, it’s possible to complete the RN to BSN program in as few as 10 months of study. “I feel like [the RN to BSN] is a good building block,” says Dr. Laurent. “It’s like a step-by-step program that lets students work as well as be able to complete the BSN.”
Salem also offers fully online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs with concentration options in Nursing Education or Nursing Administration. The need for nurse educators is especially high: in October 2023, CNN reported that nursing schools across the country turned away more than 78,000 qualified applicants due to a lack of nursing faculty members.
From initial clinical training to advanced leadership education, Salem University offers students the programs they need to build lifelong careers that change lives.
Grow with Salem University
And what’s next for Salem University? Dr. Johnson and Dr. Laurent are busy building partnerships to benefit current ASN students, such as the recent partnership with West Virginia’s Mon Health System. ASN students who complete clinicals with Mon Health can receive a job offer guarantee provided they meet academic and other performance targets.
Salem’s nursing leadership team is also planning to expand the School of Nursing’s program offerings, including a possible LPN to RN bridge program and clinical MSN options. “We want to be thoughtful about how we [expand],” says Dr. Johnson. “We want to make sure that we are meeting the needs of the workforce.” Dr. Laurent, for her part, is excited about the potential to reach a national pool of nurses with the online MSN programs. “A lot of nurses I feel are looking to advance their careers,” she explains. “They don’t necessarily have to be in West Virginia to take this MSN program.”
At the end of the day, nursing education at Salem is about helping students achieve the balance they need to succeed in their studies. “We feel really good about what we’re doing because we are truly changing lives,” says Dr. Johnson. “When students graduate from Salem, they are able to change their families’ health and wealth. We are raising the capacity of the communities that we’re serving.”
