Ian Hammock
Staff Writer
Photo credit: UNCG School of Nursing
The UNCG Nursing Program was named as the 11th best online program offering Masters degrees in Nursing by the US News and World Report, tying with the University of Cincinnati and Michigan State. UNCG beat out Eastern Carolina University, which ranked 34th and University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which ranked 64th. The only North Carolina school to beat out UNCG is Duke, which ranked 9th on the list.
For the polling of the Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs of 2018, US News & World Report ranked and graded schools in five categories: student engagement; faculty credentials and training; peer reputation; admissions selectivity; and student services and technology.
Amongst the factors that contributed to UNCG’s rank is the “SimMom” robot, a prototype and the only robot of its kind. The robot can simulate all the stages of pregnancy and childbirth. Designed to combat the rise of statistical childbirth mortality rates, the “SimMom” is exclusive to UNCG’s Nursing School, preparing students to be uniquely qualified in their roles against the fight of birthing mortality.
Along with the ranking came a nearly $700,000 grant from the DHHS/HRSA (Department of Health and Human Services/Human Resources and Services Administration), which will be used to improve the School of Nursing’s facilities.
Doctor and School of Nursing Dean Robin Remsburg said that this recognition is “A great way to start the new year. The DHHS/HRSA grant is critical to our work with medically underserved populations in North Carolina, where 80 out of 100 counties are rural. Having more highly trained nurse practitioners available in rural areas changes the culture of health.”
Dr. Remsburg continued, saying that “[t]he recognition from US News & World Report speaks to our student-centered approach; with curriculum adjustments that make the program more attractive and relevant to student needs, we’re seeing a dramatic rise in applications. Our faculty credentialing and training continues to accelerate, and we can offer students cutting-edge technology such as the nation’s first SimMom robot for birth simulation training.”
UNCG Nursing Students are getting more than just training in pregnancy care. In fact, another area in which they are getting training is the field of gerontology. Gerontology, the study of aging, is an area of medical care offered by only three of the eight schools that offer nurse practitioner programs in North Carolina, the other two being UNC Charlotte and UNC Chapel Hill. The program, “Post-BSN Adult/Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice (AGNP DNP)” is a prerequisite for the Adult Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner certificate.
UNCG’s School of Nursing placing well in the US News & World Report is the start of a long upwards climb, marking an increase in the already stellar quality of UNCG’s faculty and staff. This, and an increase in attention to our school and the number of programs that the School of Nursing offers, would mean amazing things for the School of Nursing and the state of North Carolina as a whole, as newly qualified nurses enter the medical field all across the state.
Categories: News, UNCG Faculty & Staff, UNCG Students
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