Healthcare, community leaders focus on supporting students at The W
Student success and community partnerships were the focus when the College of Nursing and Health Science at Mississippi University for Women met with community healthcare leaders Thursday, Nov. 17.
For the first time since COVID-19, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences held its annual advisory council meeting. In the audience were healthcare and community representatives from Baptist Memorial Hospital, Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Children’s Health Center of Columbus, International Paper, North Mississippi Medical Center and OCH Regional Medical Center.
“Our meeting is an important vehicle for partnership, program improvement and networking. Attendees gain insight into our programs and their roles in making our programs better while the college gains feedback that helps prepare our graduates for practice and improve our programs to help serve our communities,” said Dr. Brandy Larmon, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Larmon and faculty members addressed the audience providing highlights and data from each of the five departments of the college. The College of Nursing and Health Sciences is comprised of the departments of associate nursing, baccalaureate nursing, graduate nursing, health and kinesiology and speech-language pathology.
The ASN department shared that the average admitted student held a 3.47 GPA, up from the 3.3 GPA average in 2021. Students who completed the ASN program in May passed the NCLEX with a 91% first-time pass rate and an overall pass rate of 100%. The GPA of students entering the BSN program was 3.7. The BSN program boasted a 95.9% first-time pass rate for the NCLEX and a 100% overall pass rate. As of September 2022, the national average for NCLEX first-time pass rates was 77% for associate degrees and 79% for bachelor’s degrees, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). The Department of Graduate Nursing shared that during the summer students complete 5,400 clinical hours.
The Department of Health and Kinesiology announced a new healthcare navigator track for public health education majors. The track will prepare students to be members of a healthcare team to help individuals overcome barriers to quality care, including access to health care, insurance, or lack thereof, poor health literacy, transportation and childcare.
The Department of Speech-Language Pathology announced that the program has the largest graduate cohort in program history. Over the course of the fall semester, graduate clinicians and clinical supervisors have provided free speech, language and hearing screeners for more than 250 preschool and kindergarten-age children in the tri-county area. First-year graduate students and faculty supervisors regularly provide more than 300 hours of therapy to children and adults with disabilities each semester through The W’s Speech and Hearing Center located in Turner Hall.
The advisory board meeting concluded with a short question and answer session. Community members, healthcare leaders and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences discussed supporting student mental health, scholarship opportunities and health fair opportunities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 21, 2022
Tyler Wheat
ltwheat@muw.edu