The West Suburban College of Nursing is one of 34 nursing schools in the U.S. selected to participate in a national demonstration project o develop and offer a new master’s degree in nursing known as the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) program.

In the spring of 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) asked for academic and practice partners to create and offer a CNL program in response to the nursing shortage in the U.S. and a need to produce qualified nurse leaders. Committed to empowering nurses to make a difference, West Suburban College of Nursing developed a Clinical Nurse Leader master’s of science degree as part of the demonstration project and will begin offering courses in the fall of 2005.

"I am pleased that the West Suburban College of Nursing has been selected by AACN to participate in the CNL master’s degree demonstration projects," says Rebecca Jones, D.N.Sc., R.N., C.N.A.A., B.C., Chancellor, West Suburban College of Nursing. "This provides the College with a wonderful opportunity to develop graduate nursing programs that are on the cutting edge of academic programs for our students consistent with a national movement. The program also allows the College to create a higher education program that truly meets the needs of the community."

Based on AACN requirements, the new degree will produce competent nursing graduates that are prepared for clinical leadership in all health care settings; equipped to implement quality improvement strategies; remain in and contribute to the nursing profession; and assume responsibility for health care outcomes. While the CNL role is not one of an administrator or management, individuals that graduate with this major will have the knowledge and skill they need to design, implement and evaluate clinical care by coordinating, delegating and supervising patient care provided by a complete health care team, including nurses, technicians, physicians and other health care professionals.

Everyone knows about the aging nurse work force. Yet did you know that the average age of OR nurses is even higher than nurses as a whole? A number of factors has contributed to this phenomenon.

First, gone are the days when nursing students spent a month or more in the OR. Instead, most nursing students have a limited exposure to operative care. Typically, a nursing student may observe only one or two procedures during their education. Thus, nursing students do not receive a full appreciation of the role of the circulating nurse in surgery.

In addition, the circulating nurse role is viewed as highly technical. While technical skills are important, however, patients rely completely on the OR team while under anesthesia. The circulating nurse not only manages the OR environment but also serves as the patient advocate. Since the patient is not able to communicate effectively, the nurse must possess excellent patient assessment skills.

Because OR nursing is no longer a major portion of the nursing school curriculum, institutions are required to develop creative ways to bring new graduates and experienced nurses into the field. AORN has recognized the need for additional nurses prepared to function in the OR and has developed a core curriculum as well as other resources.

The OR internship at Edward Hospital began in 1999, and has graduated over 15 qualified OR nurses. The six month program combines didactic and precepted clinical experiences. Interns begin by shadowing in all the team roles within the surgical division, including; Preadmission Testing, Same Day Surgery, Central Processing, and Post Anesthesia Care. After scrubbing for five to six weeks, interns then move into the circulating role. As the interns achieve each milestone, the staff celebrates their accomplishments.

Staff involvement and support are key to the success of interns. There has been no lack of volunteers to precept. Staff members become cheerleaders, encouraging, making suggestions and providing feedback to help the interns become successful members of the team. Administration also shows strong and consistent support for the internship program.

Two of our most recent interns are Bryan Keeter, Jr. and Nancy Torres-Jarma. Bryan’s background is in mental health, while Nancy comes from pediatric nursing. Both have approached the experience with great enthusiasm, work well with the staff and are thriving in their new area of practice.

Hank Murphy was an ob/gyn for more than 20 years. A native of Palatine and graduate of St. Viator High School, the Glen Ellyn resident was affiliated with Good Samaritan Hospital and served residents in Downers Grove, Lisle, Naperville and throughout the western suburbs.

However, Murphy no longer practices medicine. Today, Murphy is teaching anatomy and biology at Community District 94 High School in West Chicago, Illinois.

"One of my favorite parts of practicing medicine was teaching," Murphy said. "I enjoyed sitting down and talking to patients. I enjoyed spending time with them. But medicine has changed. There’s not a lot of time for that. Because of the enormous cost of malpractice insurance, you have to spend all your time delivering baby after baby.

Dr. John Zigmond, director of the Alternative Teacher Education Program in Science and Mathematics at Benedictine University.

"The time to listen to patients, the time to explain is disappearing," he added. "Eventually, I came to the conclusion that I would rather spend my time teaching than spend my time paying the bills."

Murphy enrolled in the Alternative Teacher Certification Program in Science and Mathematics at Benedictine University. The program is designed for individuals who have earned at least a bachelor’s degree in science or mathematics, possess five years of science- or math-related work experience and are interested in teaching in grades 6-12.

"Being around teenagers is fun and interesting," Murphy said. "But being a rookie teacher is tough. You’re starting from ground zero. You’re starting from scratch. Everything has to be invented. But you catch that enthusiasm of doing something new and that helps you along."

The alternative certification program evolved from a partnership between Benedictine University and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) to offer a unique, problem-based alternative teacher certification program to prepare highly qualified individuals to teach science and mathematics in grades 6-12.

The program consists of eight weeks of intensive educational training followed by one year of supervised employment at a middle school or high school. The state of Illinois will grant certification to teach science or mathematics in grades 6-12 to those individuals who successfully complete the program.

Nine candidates completed the program during its initial year and 15 more professionals transitioned from careers in science and mathematics to the classroom in 2002. Twenty candidates completed the program in 2003, and this fall 33 candidates have accepted teaching positions throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

Lisa Tighe was doing research in functional felid (big cats) morphology at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. when she decided to pursue a career in education. She currently teaches at York Alternative High School in Chicago, a school for inmates of the Cook County Correctional Facility between the ages of 17 and 21.

"I want to make a difference," said Tighe, a resident of Leaf River (Ill.) who has a bachelor’s in biology from Northern Illinois University. "I teach five classes a day. Most of my students never finished grade school. It’s a different environment. Let’s just say that in the future, classroom management will not be a problem for me."

The alternative certification program at Benedictine University is being funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Education. Individuals seeking admission to the program must have a bachelor’s degree in science or mathematics from an accredited college or university with a minimum 2.7 grade point average.