"This is a wonderful program for me. It’s fabulous to be able to sit at my home computer and take courses. If my work schedule changes, it doesn’t matter–I can take my classes whenever it works for me." - Candace Schmitz, College of Nursing Student from Farmington

Web-Based Nursing Education by Cathleen Rineer-Garber Candace Schmitz has been a registered nurse in Farmington, New Mexico for more than 15 years. She earned her associate’s degree in nursing from San Juan Community College in 1989. Over the years, she would have liked to have furthered her education, but with no four-year college or university near Farmington, Schmitz would have had to commute to Albuquerque—more than 180 miles away. Candace Schmitz of the San Juan Regional Medical Center “I’ve worked with nurses who have taken weekend programs in Albuquerque or commuted there once a week, but that wouldn’t have worked for me,” says Schmitz. “I had a full-time career and a family, and I wasn’t willing to sacrifice either one.” For Schmitz, whose two children are now grown, missing soccer games or family time wasn’t an option. “I really wanted to get my bachelor’s degree,” she says. “There are many benefits to having an advanced degree. It would open the door to opportunities that aren’t available to associate degree nurses.” But, because her family came first, Schmitz chose not to pursue further education. Schmitz’s story is not unlike that of many other nurses across the state who have had to make difficult choices concerning their education. This has resulted in a great number of nurses unable to reach their full career potential. It has also left the nation with a shortage of highly trained nurses. In an effort to help remedy this problem in New Mexico, the UNM College of Nursing—with the help of modern technology and good old-fashioned ingenuity—developed a web-based option for registered nurses (RN) who want to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). Robin Miller, MS, CNS, Instructor at the UNM HSC College of Nursing The RN to BSN option enables RNs from anywhere in the state to earn their BSN online. Because RNs have already completed the clinical portion of their training, the educational material can be adapted to the Internet. The curriculum, including tests and final exams, is completely web-based, so students never attend classes on campus. According to Karen L. Carlson, PhD, RN, Professor and Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the UNM College of Nursing, students are required to attend a three-day orientation in Albuquerque. “The orientation focuses on technology, creating a community of learners, and the use of electronic library resources. We want to make sure that all of the students have basic computer and Internet skills before the courses begin,” says Carlson. “This promotes success by helping to ensure that the technology does not become an obstacle for our students.” Once they’ve completed the orientation, students can attend classes from anywhere they’d like–as long as they have access to the Internet. Carlson says that students from all over New Mexico have enrolled in the program, but it is particularly popular in communities such as Farmington, Gallup, Santa Fe, Espanola, Las Vegas and Silver City, where there are community colleges that offer an associate’s degree in nursing. This year, more than 100 students enrolled in the RN to BSN option. But, says Carlson, because the web-based courses are also popular with traditional students who attend classes on campus, many more students are actually enrolling in some of the individual supporting courses. For Schmitz, who up until now was unable to find a way to balance family, career and education, the RN to BSN option is the perfect solution. “This is a wonderful program for me,” she says. “It’s fabulous to be able to sit at my home computer and take courses. If my work schedule changes, it doesn’t matter–I can take my classes whenever it works for me,” says Schmitz, who will graduate in May. The RN to BSN option can be completed in one calendar year if students have completed all prerequisite courses and attend classes full-time. However, Carlson says, most of the students in the program are part-time, so they complete the program in 2-3 years. “It is designed for practicing nurses,” she says. “Our students usually work full-time and do their course work on their days off, so attending classes full-time is not really feasible.” And that, says Robin Miller, one the UNM faculty who teach the web-based courses, is the entire point of the program. “Nurses are really busy people. They work long shifts and have unpredictable schedules,” she says. “That’s why this program works so well. It’s all about flexibility. “In today’s workforce, any nurse who wants to work, can easily find a job,” says Miller. “This helps them juggle their work, family and education.” Lisa Bourne Schmitz says she was a little concerned at first that web-based classes might be impersonal, but she soon found out that was not the case. “I don’t feel isolated at all. I feel like I know all of my classmates very well, as if I sat in class with them every week.” Schmitz also says her instructors are very accessible and she feels the quality of the education is the same as she would have received in a traditional classroom setting. Schmitz says she is not the only nurse in Farmington taking advantage of this program. “I work with many nurses at San Juan Regional Medical Center who are enrolled in the program,” she says. “This is working out really well for SJRMC and for the community of Farmington.” “It’s a good addition to San Juan Community College’s program,” says Schmitz, adding that many of her coworkers followed the same educational path. “I received a great education there and have a great career because of it. But, in order to advance my career I need a BSN and I never would have been able to earn one without this program,” she says. According to Miller, Schmitz and others who earn their BSN will have greater career opportunities. “Many places will only hire a nurse with a bachelor’s degree or higher and most management positions require advanced degrees.” Nurses who want to receive certification as specialists in a particular area, must take exams, and according to Miller, many of those exams are offered only to nurses with at least a bachelor’s degree. There are also a number of opportunities in the nursing field that are only available to those with master’s degrees, says Miller. So, UNM also offers the MSN Program, for nurses who want to take their education to the next level. “Masters prepared nurses can become nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, midwives and administrators,” says Miller. These advanced practice nurses provide vital health care services to people in New Mexico.” Master’s prepared nurses are also qualified to teach at the community college and university level, where many of the state’s nurses receive their education. With an ongoing shortage of nursing faculty at schools around the country, masters prepared nurses are in great demand. The education, administration and community health concentrations of the master’s program are also available online. For nurses, there are numerous advantages to pursuing further education, but according to Miller, the real benefactors are the people of New Mexico. “Research indicates that there is a clear correlation between the level of a nurse’s education and the level of care. The more educated the nurse, the better the care,” she says. By providing innovative educational opportunities, the UNM College of Nursing is not only helping prepare New Mexico’s next generation of nurses—it’s helping today’s nurses reach their career goals more easily, without great sacrifices. And, in doing so, the UNM College of Nursing is contributing to a higher level of health care for all New Mexicans.   Missed a feature story? Click here to browse our features archive.

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