Our Mission
The Washburn University School of Nursing mission is to transform the professional nursing workforce to improve health, enhance the experience of care, and maximize the value of health services to a diverse population.
History
The baccalaureate nursing program was established at Washburn University in the Fall of 1974. In 1982, the program was granted status as a School of Nursing through an act of the Legislature.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Washburn University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
All graduate APRN Programs are approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing.
To continue to provide nursing education that addresses the future healthcare needs of the communities served by the School of Nursing, an Advisory Council was created in 2000. Advisory Council Members are asked to serve a minimum two year term and attend an annual meeting to review and provide input on the strategic direction of the School of Nursing.
Current SON Advisory Council members are:
| Lisa Alexander Chief Nursing Officer University of Kansas Health System - St. Francis Campus 1700 SW 7th Topeka, KS 66606 |
Sarah Bradshaw VP of Nursing Lawrence Memorial Hospital 325 Maine Lawrence, KS 66044 |
| Trey George Executive Director Topeka Housing Authority 2010 SE California Topeka, KS 66607 |
A. Jay Mooney, MHSA Health Center Administrator/Clinic Administrator Prairie Band Potawatomi Health Center 11400 158th Road Mayetta, KS 66509 |
| Carol Perry, RN, MSM Vice President Patient Care Stormont Vail HealthCare 1500 SW 10th Topeka KS 66604-1301 |
Bill Pessinger Chief Executive Officer Valeo Behavioral Health Care 5401 SW 7th Street Topeka, KS 66606 |
| Carrie Saia Chief Executive Office Holton Hospital 1110 Columbine Holton, KS 66436 |
Jane Shirley, MSE, BSN, RN Disease Management/Wellness Nurse, Employer Group Clinical Coordinator Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas 1133 SW Topeka Blvd. Topeka, KS 66629 |
| Dana Weaver Chief Operating Officer LeadingAge Kansas 217 SE 8th Avenue Topeka, KS 66603-3906 |
Current RN-to-BSN Advisory Council Members are:
|
Dee Bohnenblust |
Monique Cheatum Nurse Manager & Director Citizens Medical Center |
| Pamela Covault Director of Nursing Neosho Co. Community College |
Pam Masters Clinical Development Specialist KU Med-St Francis Campus |
| Carria Saia Chief Executive Officer Holton Hospital |
Luanne Smith Chief Nursing Officer Salina Regional Health Center |
| Steve Durkin Executive Director Atchison Community Health Clinic |
Pre-licensure BSN Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program
NCLEX First-Time Pass Rates
| Pass Rate | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn University Pass Rate | 81.33 | 80.74 | 85.38 | 90.70 | 89.78 |
| Kansas Pass Rate | 81.42 | 78.56 | 82.10 | 88.90 | 86.60 |
| National Pass Rate | 85.49 | 84.57 | 87.11 | 88.29 | 88.18 |
Data is taken from the Kansas State Board of Nursing Annual Reports.
FNP First-Time Pass Rates
| Pass Rate | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Washburn University Pass Rate | 82 | 92 |
| National Pass Rate | 82 | 89 |
Data is taken from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board
The School of Nursing strategic goals for 2016-2020
- Goal 1 - To address the health and environmental needs of patients and communities.
- Utilize the COACH program to identify, coordinate, and implement health initiatives that are managed by SON faculty.
- Create synergy with local/regional/state health initiatives and nursing curriculum.
- Goal 2. To promote student success through a systematic process that will integrate an adaptive learning environment with use of best-practices in teaching.
- Develop processes that identify BSN students at-risk for failing the RN-NCLEX examination on the first attempt.
- Work with the Center for Student Success to improve pre-nursing students' success in admission to the BSN program.
- Develop online resources for graduate students to support academic porgression.
- Develop online resoruces fro RN-to-BSN students to support academic progession.
- Goal 3. Explore and test new methods of student assessment and competency verification to identify the essential professional nursing skills required for the graduate of each level of nursing education.
- Complete a gap analysis of practice competencies for BSN, CNL, post-graduate PMHNP, and DNP graduates.
- Develop or enhance current student assessment/competency verification tools at all levels.
- Identify educational scholarship opportunities in the area of competency verification.
- Goal 4. Promote teaching excellence through faculty development, peer reviewed assessment, and leadership opportunities within education, clinical practice, and health care organizations.
- Support faculty development in the scholarship of teaching.
- Create a peer review process for evaluation of teaching effectiveness in classroom, clinical, simulation, and online settings.
- Support faculty engagement in leadership roles within education, clinical practice, and community organizations.
- Promote excellent advising experiences for nursing students.
The nursing faculty believe each human being is a unitary, living open system and is continually engaged in a mutual dynamic process with the environment. Individuals are unique, have inherent worth, and strive to maintain system integrity while progressing through the life process from conception through death. Individuals, families, and communities, are open systems engaged in mutual dynamic process with the environment.
Nursing is a health profession which is concerned with promoting the quality of life in individuals, families, and communities. The deliberative and creative use of knowledge for the betterment of human beings is expressed in the science and art of nursing. The nurse, at all levels of preparation, is responsible for assisting the client in recognizing and coping with health needs throughout the life process. Through application of the nursing process, the nurse functions as a provider of care, a designer/ coordinator/manager of care, and as a member of the profession.
Nursing is a practice profession that values clinical expertise and the application of scientific knowledge. Professional education in nursing begins at the baccalaureate level. The purpose of professional nursing education is to provide the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for the student to become a professional nurse and to have the foundation for graduate education. General education in the humanities and in the natural and social sciences provides a broad foundation for understanding and augmenting nursing theory and facilitates the development and integration of the nursing student as a professional person.
The student who attains a graduate degree in nursing becomes a specialized practice expert who demonstrates expanded accountability and responsibility for the care of patients, populations, and systems. In addition to the direct practice role, the graduate also demonstrates expertise in the following competencies:
- Scientific underpinnings for practice,
- Organizational and systems leadership for quality improvement and systems thinking,
- Clinical scholarship and analytical methods for evidence-based practice,
- Information systems/technology for the improvement and transformation of health care,
- Health care policy for advocacy in health care,
- Interpersonal collaboration for improving patient and population health outcomes,
- Prevention of disease and promotion of population health, and
- Advancing nursing practice
Learning is a complex, mutual process of growth and development identified by changes in the behavior of the learner. Each student is unique in life experiences, motivation for learning, and scholastic aptitude. The educational process is designed to provide opportunities for students to meet individual learning needs. The role of the nurse educator is to facilitate the learning process. Students are responsible for learning.
The philosophy and purposes of the School of Nursing are consistent with the mission of Washburn University. The School of Nursing is a major academic unit within the University and is responsible for determining its own professional curriculum and instruction. The richness of resources within the university and community provide opportunities for faculty and students to make significant contributions to health care delivery in a changing, multicultural society.
GET IN TOUCH WITH School of Nursing
School of Nursing
Petro Allied Health Center
1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621-1117
Phone & Fax
Ph: 785.670.1525
Fax: 785.670.1032
