Creating more specialized nurses in South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – This fall a brand new, first of its type program might be beginning at Augustana College in Sioux Falls.

Nurses who wish to additional their careers and turn into extra specialised can now apply to take action at Augustana College. The brand new Grasp of Science in Nursing program gives two emphasis areas — adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AG-ACNP) and grownup gerontology medical nurse specialist (AG-CNS).

“There aren’t any different applications within the state of South Dakota that prepare acute care nurse practitioners or medical nurse specialists,” Dr. Lynn White, this system director stated.

Pamela Barthle, who’s an grownup geriatric acute care nurse practitioner at Sanford Well being and an assistant professor, explains what nurses educated in that first emphasis will do.

“That superior follow nurse is particularly educated to work in an inpatient setting usually and take care of these sufferers with acute and continual diseases and handle that affected person all through their entire hospitalization,” Barthle stated.

Based on the 2021 South Dakota Nursing Workforce Report, lower than 11 p.c of nurse practitioners within the state have an acute care certification.

“So all through america, the pattern has been for hospitals to rent grownup and geriatric acute care nurse practitioners to perform throughout the partitions of the hospital to handle these sufferers,” Barthle stated. “That pattern is now reaching South Dakota. And it’s one thing that’s going to proceed into the long run. It’s closely promoted by states’ boards of nursing and completely different nursing organizations as nicely.”

Program director, Dr. Lynn White, is a medical nurse specialist herself. She explains the second nursing emphasis on this program.

“The medical nurse specialist practices inside three areas inside nurses: direct affected person care, nursing follow and the techniques degree,” White stated.

The variety of these nurses in South Dakota has decreased by 13 p.c since 2018 and 41 p.c of these nonetheless working are nearing retirement.

“Due to what’s occurring with the pandemic and our elevated census and the elevated wants of well being care, each within the hospital setting and the group well being setting, the necessity for medical nurse specialists for his or her experience and the companies that they will present is now greater than ever,” White stated.

Nurses wanting to use for his or her Masters at Augustana might want to have their Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing in addition to two years of medical expertise. Their first 12 months in this system might be centered on core programs.

“Within the second 12 months of this system, they are going to be taking primarily medical programs,” White stated. “In order that’s when they may do their medical hours, they may do 780 hours of direct affected person care. They’ll be taught analysis administration remedy, they may be taught superior procedures.”

White and Barthle are wanting ahead to getting extra of those specialised nurses into South Dakota’s hospitals.

“It’s a really thrilling, rewarding function in nursing and definitely I’d encourage that if college students are curious about that,” Barthle stated.

“I’m excited for all the wonderful affected person care and the affected person outcomes that might be a results of the scholars that undergo this program,” White stated.

Beginning in the summertime of 2023, Augustana will even supply two post-master’s certificates choices in those self same two specializations.