The University of Indianapolis (UIndy) motto is “Education for Service”, and that philosophy has long been integrated into nursing courses and the mission of the School of Nursing. In many ways, we “talk the talk and walk the walk”, as they say. It is heartwarming to see how this concept is carried out in the School of Nursing and the variety of ways we endeavor to “pay it forward” in both personal and group-driven projects.

For example, for the past nine years the second year associate degree nursing students have had a community service project that makes and donates baby blankets to a variety of organizations. Initially the project started with two students looking to perform a community service project as part of a course requirement. Five blankets were made that year.  The idea was so well received that it has been offered each year as a way to fulfill the community service project and provide fun and fellowship to the students after the demands of a very busy and stress-filled semester. In December 2012, over 40 students and a handful of faculty, with a wide range of skills, participated. One hundred thirteen blankets were made in just four short hours! All of the materials were donated by students and faculty. All totaled, it is estimated that over the course of the last nine years, 628 blankets have been gifted to the Julian Center, Angel Wings, Centering Pregnancy and the St. Elizabeth Coleman Center.

Another example is the project that nursing faculty member, Christie Flint, coordinates with the United Christmas Service. Each year for the past five years approximately 40-50 students, faculty, and staff from the School of Nursing, School of Occupational Therapy, and Krannert School of Physical Therapy help. During this time, we’ve raised over $2,500 in gift cards and money, provided over 800 gifts, donated several boxes of food and household items, and have helped over 75 people have a better Christmas.

On a personal level, two of our faculty members serve as great role models to students and staff. In addition to her full-time job as a nursing professor, Dr. Marjorie Porter serves as the Executive Director for the Good Shepherd Community Clinic located in the First Presbyterian Church in Martinsville, Indiana. The clinic was started in April 2006 by the health ministry at the church. Funded primarily by the Kendrick Foundation and donations from community groups and individuals, Dr. Porter and several others got the clinic up and running. The clinic is open every Saturday morning and serves uninsured Morgan County adults who are below federal poverty guidelines. Approximately 250 adults are seen each year. The clinic requires a staff of three MDs, one Nurse practitioner, one psychiatrist, one diabetes nurse educator, 12 Registered Nurses, four pharmacists, one social worker, and many lay volunteers to support its mission. 

Dr. Linda Rodebaugh finds time in her busy teaching and clinical schedule to serve on the Planning Board for Camp Healing Tree. She also serves as a group facilitator for the Camp that is held each August. Approximately 70 grieving children and teens attend and share their grief in a safe and nurturing environment. Dr. Rodebaugh also serves as a volunteer facilitator for Caterpillar Kids, a six-week support group for children ages 5-12. Caterpillar Kids is a grief and loss support group offered through St. Francis Hospice.

The University of Indianapolis is taking one of its most popular nursing degree programs online, making it accessible to working nurses throughout the state who want to advance their careers.

UIndy’s School of Nursing first launched its RN-to-BSN program in the early 1990s to help registered nurses – licensed after two to three years of education – to complete their bachelor’s degrees, the level of preparation that is becoming the healthcare industry standard. The program is currently offered in an accelerated hybrid format of weekly class meetings and online content that can be completed in 12 months, and also in on-site formats designed for employees of the IU Health, Hendricks Regional and Franciscan St. Francis health systems.

Beginning this fall, the same UIndy curriculum will be available in an online format that also can be completed in 12 months. Now accepting applications, the online program is open to licensed nurses currently working in Indiana. Financial aid is available, and students will have the flexibility to move from the hybrid to online format, or vice versa, as their circumstances change.

“It opens the door for people who don’t have access to our campus or our partner locations,” said Professor Connie Wilson, director of UIndy’s RN-to-BSN program.

Evolving standards among healthcare providers and nursing professional associations are making the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree more important than ever, Wilson said.

The industry is bracing for a wave of nursing retirements. Enrollment in two-year associate’s degree programs is increasing, but those nurses typically will be expected to complete their bachelor’s degrees within five years of entering the field. And major hospital systems are now adopting the nursing associations’ recommendation that 80 percent of their nursing workforce should hold bachelor’s or advanced degrees by 2020.

“The thrust is coming now from the employers too,” Wilson said, noting that nurses who delay obtaining higher degrees may find their career options limited.

More information about the UIndy School of Nursing’s online RN-to-BSN program is available at nursing.uindy.edu or by emailing nursing.rnbsn@uindy.edu or calling (800) 232-8634.

Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association

CSM as an elected member of the Student Assembly Board of Directors (SABoD) was one of the best experiences I have ever had.  I can’t remember the last occasion that I was so busy but having so much fun at the same time.  Most of the conference for me was spent in meetings, networking with other students, and representing student members as a liaison to some of the sections. The Student Assembly Board of Directors held two business meetings where we reviewed our current progress on the year’s goals and we tackled some new business as well. Check out The Pulse, Student Assembly newsletter, every month to learn not only what the SABoD is working on, but also what is going on with students around the country and the upcoming ways to get involved as a student member of the APTA.   The other SABoD members are some of the hardest working, passionate, and enthusiastic individuals who are giving their all to be the voice for student members.  I am honored to be a part of this group and to now call them my friends! (Pictured: Michelle & Danae, UIndy DPT Students)

As for some of the highlights of CSM, on Thursday night the Student Assembly Meet & Greet was held and the 7,900 students in attendance at CSM were invited to attend this social gathering.  There was a great turnout!  As a member of the nominating committee, I think we will have a stellar slate for next year’s elections because of all the quality students showing interest in the APTA who attended this year’s Meet & Greet.  Another highlight of the conference, I attended the Political Action Committee (PAC) luncheon.  Talk about good food! But the best part was talking with legendary members of the Association and hearing first hand the importance of making a donation to the PAC to ensure that we are able to practice as physical therapists.  I was shocked to find out that only 11% of APTA members contribute, and think about it, only 30% of physical therapists are members of the Association.  That’s a small number of people who are ensuring our future careers as physical therapists!

I must say, I was proud of my fellow KSPT classmates and instructors.  You know you pick a great PT school whenever the majority of your instructors are not only attending this national meeting but also presenting their research.  Likewise, KSPT presence exists in a number of different sections.  The schedule of KSPT events was too long for me to be able to attend them all, but rumor has it, everyone did well.  

I strongly encourage all students to become involved in the APTA.  I promise you, you won’t regret it!  You would be amazed at the “insider information” you will gain that will assist you as you work towards your future career as a physical therapist.  And you will be surprised at the network of physical therapists and student physical therapists you will establish.   Whether it is at the program, state, or national level, jump in and learn first hand the benefits and importance of membership in your professional organization, the APTA.

Danae Alwardt, SPT

University of Indianapolis

Nominating Committee, APTA Student Assembly

The University of Indianapolis is a private university in Indiana, and ranked among the best universities in the Midwest. It offers a range of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs, as well as accelerated degree programs for adult learners seeking a bachelor’s degree through Indiana night classes, or for students wishing to complete an Indianapolis MBA program through Saturday classes. The university is a favorite choice among students wishing to attend Indiana nursing schools, physical therapy programs in Indiana and occupational therapy programs in Indiana; all three are ranked among the best of these programs nationally.

Welcome to the School of Nursing blog! In this discussion, we want to talk about the fantastic opportunities in nursing, and the options to join the nursing profession at the University of Indianapolis—known as UINDY.

Nursing is a GREAT career choice!

First, did you know that nursing is one of the top 5 career choices that is reported to have the best prospects for job hunters?

 

Second, did you know there is a nursing shortage? While other careers are facing layoffs, nursing is considered to be one of the few jobs that will be hiring for at least the next 30 years. While nobody can promise absolute job security in this world, nursing is a career choice that carries a very low probability of its graduates ever facing a poor job market.

 

UINDY has multiple ways you can become a nurse.

First, we have a traditional bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. This is a 4 year program. For the first year, students take pre-requisite and general education core courses (required of every student seeking a college degree). For example, our first year students take Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, English Composition, Math, Speech, and a variety of other courses to fill their schedules. In their sophomore year, they start their clinical nursing courses, including having experiences with real patients in hospitals. They complete their nursing courses and any other requirements in their Junior and Senior year.

 

Second, we have an Accelerated Nursing Program. In this program, people who have a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field have the opportunity to complete both their Bachelor’s and Masters degrees in nursing in about 3 years. We call this the AMP program for Accelerated Masters Program. During the first year, students take prerequisite science courses and complete three nursing courses. A typical student in the AMP program will take Anatomy, Microbiology, Nutrition, and a second level psychology course the first semester. The second semester the student will take Physiology, Chemistry (if it has not already been taken as part of the first degree), Pharmacology, Nursing Research and any other pre-requisites still needed. In May, the students start their clinical nursing courses, and receive their bachelor’s degree in nursing at the end of the following summer. Then they complete their masters courses in another year. That means in three years—less time than it would take them to get a traditional BSN degree—the AMP students have two degrees!

 

Third, we offer an RN-to-BSN degree for ASN nurses who wish to complete their BSN degree. The courses in this program are offered mostly in the afternoons and evenings to accommodate working nurses.

 

We hope that you will contact the school of nursing if you are interested in pursuing one of these avenues into the nursing profession. Nursing is the hardest job you will ever love.

Senator Hillary Clinton’s senior health policy adviser, Andrea Palm, and the president of the American Nurses Association, Becky Patton, visited the University of Indianapolis campus on April 15, 2008 to discuss the Clinton campaign’s healthcare platform and answer questions from UIndy faculty and students. This visit was part of a tour of nursing schools in the state of Indiana. This event offered a wonderful opportunity for our students, regardless of political background, to discuss healthcare issues with two highly influential shapers of national policy.

For more information about the School of Nursing at the University of Indianapolis, see http://nursing.uindy.edu/.

The University of Indianapolis is a private university in Indiana, and ranked among the best universities in the Midwest. It offers a range of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs, as well as accelerated degree programs for adult learners seeking a bachelor’s degree through Indiana night classes, or for students wishing to complete an Indianapolis MBA program through Saturday classes. The university is a favorite choice among students wishing to attend Indiana nursing schools, physical therapy programs in Indiana and occupational therapy programs in Indiana; all three are ranked among the best of these programs nationally.

The College of Health Sciences at the University of Indianapolis includes the Krannert School of Physical Therapy and the School of Occupational Therapy.

We are proud to offer undergraduate and graduate programs, including:

• Physical Therapist Assistant, associate's degree
• Master of Occupational Therapy
• Doctor of Physical Therapy
• Postprofessional master's and doctoral degrees in occupational therapy and physical therapy

 For more information on the College of Health Sciences, see http://healthsciences.uindy.edu/.

For information on UIndy's School of Nursing, see http://nursing.uindy.edu/.

The University of Indianapolis is a private university in Indiana, and ranked among the best universities in the Midwest. It offers a range of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs, as well as accelerated degree programs for adult learners seeking a bachelor’s degree through Indiana night classes, or for students wishing to complete an Indianapolis MBA program through Saturday classes. The university is a favorite choice among students wishing to attend Indiana nursing schools, physical therapy programs in Indiana and occupational therapy programs in Indiana; all three are ranked among the best of these programs nationally.