FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about the Nursing College Project in Northeast Nebraska.
- What is the proposal?
- What is the process for assuring that the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing will indeed be coming to Norfolk?
- Where will the expanded programs be housed?
- How will the UNMC College of Nursing Northern Division be funded?
- When will the new facility be completed?
- Who will own and operate the building?
- Where will the building be located on campus?
- Why is this new division needed?
- What other benefits can be foreseen with this collaborative effort?
- What are the benefits for students?
- How will the two institutions work together so that one may obtain a BSN?
- What classes should one take now to begin working toward the BSN program? Can all those courses be taken at Northeast Community College?
- What will enrollment capacity be for each level?
- How many faculty will be required to educate such numbers?
- When will the MSN and doctoral programs start?
- Doesn’t the UNMC College of Nursing already have other programs in the state?
- How have other UNMC College of Nursing divisions been funded?
- What can I do to help make this vision a reality?
- What is the proposal?
To expand nursing education on the campus of Northeast Community College. Through collaborative efforts of a two- and four-year institution, students will be able to complete education requirements from the basic nurse aide (commonly referred to as CNA), licensed practical nursing (LPN) and associate degree nursing (ADN) from Northeast Community College then seamlessly transition to bachelor of science (BSN), master of science (MSN) or doctoral (Ph.D. ) degree studies in nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
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- What is the process for assuring that the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing will indeed be coming to Norfolk?
A project of this magnitude is approached and completed in phases. Currently both institutions, NECC and UNMC, are developing contractual agreements for the proposed site. These agreements must be approved by each respective institution’s governing boards. In addition, community leaders have embarked upon a capital campaign to raise the necessary funds to construct, equip and finance the facility.
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- Where will the expanded programs be housed?
The new University of Nebraska Medical Center Northern Division will be jointly housed with Northeast Community College’s nursing program in an estimated $10.8-million-dollar, 35,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility on the Northeast campus in Norfolk.
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- How will the UNMC College of Nursing Northern Division be funded?
The UNMC Facilities Planning and Construction Department projected this joint center would require 34,973 square feet at a cost of $10,768,200, including equipment and furnishings. Northeast Community College will donate the land, valued at $500,000, for construction of the facility. Additional project costs including site development, infrastructure, and financing bring the projected total to $12,900,000. These funds will be provided by private donors, foundations, and federal appropriations. NECC and UNMC will provide funds required for ongoing programming and operational costs for their own individual programs.
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- When will the new facility be completed?
The successful completion of the capital campaign for the new building, equipment, and related infrastructure is required prior to the construction of the new facility. Based on the successful completion of the capital campaign, the ground breaking for the facility may be 2009 with the first classes to tentatively start in the fall of 2010.
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- Who will own and operate the building?
Northeast Community College will own and operate the building.
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- Where will the building be located on campus?
Please see the Northeast Community College Campus Master Plan.
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- Why is this new division needed?
Nebraska currently faces a nursing shortage and that shortage is expected to worsen in the future. According to a feasibility study done for this project, it is estimated there will be a shortfall of 1,216 full-time registered nurses by 2010 and 3,838 full-time registered nurses by 2020 in Nebraska. Northeast Nebraska, with already the fewest RNs, BSNs and advanced practice registered nurses (master-level prepared nurses) in the state, will be hit particularly hard by this shortage. Additionally, nurses employed in public health must have at least a bachelor’s degree.
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- What other benefits can be foreseen with this collaborative effort?
It is a well-known fact that once a college student leaves home for an education, he or she often does not return. This close-to-home educational opportunity will help keep our graduates in the area. It will also be a source of many well-paying jobs as we attract UNMC faculty to the region and strengthen our ability to provide a better-educated work force that can expect better-paying jobs in area hospitals. The new facility will also provide classrooms, laboratories, and state-of-the art equipment for Northeast’s nursing program, which has overflowed its current space in the Ag/Allied Health Building into the Eby Building owned by the State of Nebraska.
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- What are the benefits for students?
Students will be able to transition from associate’s degree coursework to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral-level coursework in one location. Moreover, the College of Nursing Northern Division will provide the only BSN program in northeast Nebraska, allowing greater access to place-bound students.
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- How will the two institutions work together so that one may obtain a BSN?
Currently both institutions are working collaboratively to develop an articulated curriculum that will facilitate a seamless transition between programs for those individuals who have or are obtaining an ADN and desire a BSN. Students will be required to complete any remaining credit hours of general education, pre-requisite coursework, plus a minimum of 20 credit hours of nursing coursework. Students who complete their ADN at NECC and want to pursue a baccalaureate degree will be automatically admitted to UNMC’s College of Nursing RN to BSN program if: 1) they successfully complete NECC’s nursing program with a 3.5 or higher grade point average; 2) pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX); and 3) apply to UNMC within 12 months of completing their ADN.
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- What classes should one take now to begin working toward the BSN program? Can all those courses be taken at Northeast Community College?
Students can begin working on an associate of arts or science degree at Northeast Community College in preparation for completing the BSN degree through UNMC. Students must complete 62 hours of general education pre-requisite coursework through Northeast Community College.
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- What will enrollment capacity be for each level?
Northeast will graduate up to 50 ADN students each year, while UNMC will graduate up to 48 BSN students each year when fully operational. Enrollment in the UNMC graduate programs, MSN and doctoral, is based on total enrollments in the graduate programs and is not site specific.
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- How many faculty will be required to educate such numbers?
Northeast will maintain its nursing faculty, while UNMC would initially recruit 10 faculty members and an assistant dean. Once the UNMC program reaches capacity, an additional five faculty members would be required for a total of 15 full-time faculty members. Chuck Pohlman, Northeast Community College Dean of Agriculture, Health and Sciences, will lead the NECC nursing programs while the UNMC division will be led by College of Nursing Dean Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc.
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- When will the MSN and doctoral programs start?
Students may apply now to the UNMC College of Nursing MSN and doctoral programs. Many of the graduate classes are offered using distance technologies for easier educational access for students who work and live at a distance.
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- Doesn’t the UNMC College of Nursing already have other programs in the state?
Yes. UNMC College of Nursing is committed to developing BSN-prepared nurses to meet the acute needs of today’s hospitalized patients. There are presently UNMC College of Nursing divisions in Lincoln, Omaha, Scottsbluff, and Kearney. At present, there is no College of Nursing Division in northeast Nebraska. The feasibility study completed for the northern division indicated that nurses who are educated in their local communities will stay and work in their local communities. The College of Nursing Northern Division will address the current and projected shortage of nurses in northeast Nebraska.
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- How have other UNMC College of Nursing divisions been funded?
The facilities of the four divisions of the UNMC College of Nursing have unique histories. Two of the divisions are located on university campuses, one is housed at a university center, and the fourth is temporarily situated in non-university space that is leased by UNMC. The College of Nursing Northern Division will be the first of the divisions to partner with a community college.
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- What can I do to help make this vision a reality?
You can help by enthusiastically supporting this project and sharing your enthusiasm with your friends and colleagues. And, of course, you can help with a monetary donation. Please use our contact form for additional information.
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