Dillard University to suspend nursing program
9th May 2016 · 0 Comments
By Prescotte Stokes, III
Contributing Writer
A full internal assessment of Dillard University’s generic baccalaureate and LPN-BSN nursing programs were announced on Tuesday (April 26). During the assessment period the university will suspend admission of new students into the program for the 2017-2018 academic school year.
David Grubb, director of communications for Dillard University, says the nursing program has been one of the more popular core programs at the historically black university for decades.
“It’s produced some of the highest quality nurses in Louisiana for decades and it’s been just a recent trend where we’ve had more difficulty,” said Grubb.
In the last few years the program has missed the mark of an 80 percent pass rate required by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Students are required to pass the licensure exam to graduate. The university has had a 50 percent pass rate in recent years.
The university is not facing any action from the Louisiana State Board of Nursing at this time, but Grubb said they wanted to take a look at improving the program right now.
“Let’s evaluate now and make sure we’re giving out the kind of quality that Dillard is known for and people expect from us,” said Grubb.
He says the suspension will not affect the status of students currently enrolled in the program, but it will affect students enrolling for the Fall 2016 semester. He says the university wanted to make the announcement as soon as possible to allow prospective freshmen and their families the opportunity to make a decision about selecting another major.
During the suspension period, the nursing program will be continuously evaluated and fine-tuned with a focus on skill development of its’ students. The primary focus of the assessment will be raising the current students’ performances on the national registered nursing licensure exam. Choosing to suspend enrollment into the program was a difficult decision for the university’s leaders.
Dr. Yolanda Page, vice president for academic affairs, stated in a press release that such an assertive approach is necessary to allow administrators to thoroughly review all aspects of the program including the curriculum, support mechanisms and staffing.
“Dillard University is home to Louisiana’s first BSN program,” said Dr. Page. We owe it to our alumni and current students to ensure that the Dillard legacy of excellence in nursing remains intact.”
Nearly 20 percent of the university’s 218 graduates in 2015 had nursing degrees connected to their public health degrees.
The news of the internal assessments were not shocking to Katryce Duncan, who graduated from Dillard University as a public health major in 2011. She says during her time at the university some nursing program students that she knew had trouble with the exam. The students ended up switching majors to make sure they could graduate on time.
“I know three of my friends who failed out of the nursing program and became public health majors,” said Duncan.
Grubb says some of the students who started out in the nursing program have gone on to become public health majors in recent years. He also added that the licensure examination rates are only taken the first time students take the exam.
“A lot of those folks are still graduating and going on to be successful in their field but that’s why we want to look at how we are evaluating students coming into the program,” said Grubb.
Duncan commended the university for taking the initiative to revamp the nursing program before it’s too late. She said it helps maintain the veracity of the program and the degrees its’ alumni worked hard for.
“I wasn’t a nursing major but with the passing rate so low it lessens the integrity of the public health degree as well because the courses are so similar,” said Duncan.
Dr. Sharon Hutchinson, School of Nursing Chair, also made a statement in the press release stating that she wants to see the program restored to its glory days.
“The School of Nursing has been working with and will continue to work closely with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing in getting the program back to the lofty status it has had historically,” said Hutchinson.
The lofty status of the nursing program is why former Dillard University student Ashleigh Collins chose the university back in 2008 before leaving to finish up her degree at Southern University of New Orleans.
“One of the reasons I chose Dillard as a freshman was because of the reputation of the nursing program, said Collins. As well as it offering a BSN compared to Charity’s School of Nursing only offering an associates degree.”
The baccalaureate-nursing program has conditional approval from the Louisiana State Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing while the program is being fully assessed.
This article originally published in the May 9, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
