{"id":5645,"date":"2017-02-24T11:00:47","date_gmt":"2017-02-24T17:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/?p=5645"},"modified":"2017-02-23T10:16:11","modified_gmt":"2017-02-23T16:16:11","slug":"capella-creates-nursing-and-health-sciences-advisory-board","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/capella-creates-nursing-and-health-sciences-advisory-board\/","title":{"rendered":"Advisory Board Puts Capella at Forefront of Nursing and Health Care Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re pursuing a health care degree, how do you know you\u2019re gaining the skills and knowledge to handle the latest issues in your field?<\/p>\n

Capella University\u2019s School of Nursing and Health Sciences has created an advisory board to guide the school on curricula and other educational initiatives. The focus is on keeping curricula continually updated, so Capella students will always receive a cutting-edge education that will help them readily adapt to today\u2019s health care workplace.<\/p>\n

Capella\u2019s board is comprised of 13 health care leaders<\/a>, all of whom have deep experience in, and currently work or practice in some aspect of, nursing and health care. Each brings a varied perspective gleaned from working directly with patients or in executive leadership positions with some of the world\u2019s top associations and health care organizations.<\/p>\n

So what is the impact of the advisory board for Capella\u2019s students? Capella leaders and several board members share their perspectives.<\/p>\n

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Preparing the Future Workforce<\/h4>\n

\u201cThey provide us with the information we need to keep us relevant and credible,\u201d says Patrick Robinson, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. \u201cThey help us form strategy at a high level and provide a conduit for us into their organizations, leaders, and workforce. They infuse us with credibility.\u201d That credibility serves students, who can be confident that their education will prepare them for today\u2019s health care roles, as well as future employers who are looking for the best candidates.<\/p>\n

Board member Cathleen Wheatley, chief nurse executive and vice president of clinical operations for Wake Forest Baptist Health, agrees. \u201cIt\u2019s of great importance to have a board filled with leaders in the field of nursing, and from all different aspects of nursing,\u201d she says. \u201cThe industry is changing drastically. Nursing curricula must change to prepare nurses in new ways and for new roles. Hearing directly from industry leaders as to what those changes and needs are is critical for informing the preparation of the future nursing workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

That input from external experts can drive Capella to meet the needs of the marketplace much more nimbly and effectively. \u201cAs we think about what\u2019s important to being a leader in health care organizations, we need to always assess our curriculum at all levels to make sure it\u2019s effectively designed to meet the needs of the dynamic health care field,\u201d says Jennifer Hoff, vice president and general manager of the College of Nursing, Health, and Behavioral Sciences.<\/p>\n

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Stronger Foundation for Nursing Careers<\/h4>\n

Board member Honor Martin, vice president of clinical services for Aspire of Western New York, already had strong praise for Capella\u2019s program before joining the board. \u201cI was working with a hospital looking at nursing education and had the opportunity to review Capella\u2019s coursework,\u201d she says. \u201cI was stunned at how well it was done and began talking it up to the nurses I worked with.\u201d She felt that Capella provided an excellent education that would serve future nurses well in the employment market.<\/p>\n

Martin was excited at the opportunity to play a role in keeping that curriculum at a high level of quality, and she notes that her fellow board members are equally keen. But also important, she says, is Capella\u2019s receptiveness to the board\u2019s thoughts. \u201cCapella is the most non-ivory-towered place I\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve been on many advisory boards in nursing, and I\u2019m impressed with how Capella listens. What we say is heard\u2014we know it will be researched and supported. With that level of buy-in, they\u2019ll for sure hit the target in the external market.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because graduates will be on top of what employers need. Becca Miller, Capella\u2019s Senior Director of Employer Solutions, notes, \u201cStudents will go through a program that\u2019s being driven by what employers need in their workforce to handle the constant change in health care.\u201d We\u2019re learning what competencies students need and what skill gaps exist in the market. We use that information to develop those competencies in our coursework and fill those gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Achievements Gained and More to Come<\/h4>\n

The board has been active for one year, and it has already made a difference. Miller describes one outcome of the first year: \u201cWe developed new reporting for employees so they could see their employee\u2019s progression against key competencies that were important to them. The board gave us feedback on what information is important to measure and how to most effectively show the impact learning is having on their organizations. We used their feedback to influence the design of our reporting and that ultimately led to a better end result.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moving into the second year, the board has some ambitious goals:<\/p>\n