Nursing News:
OHSU helps Wyoming with doctoral program

While the state of Wyoming faces a shortage of both nurses and nursing instructors, the University of Wyomingıs Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing has formed an agreement with the Oregon Health and Science University to increase the number of nurses with doctorates in Wyoming.
Many states develop their own nursing doctorate programs, but for a small state like Wyoming it just doesnıt make sense, said Pamela Clarke, dean of the UW School of Nursing. Instead, UW is bringing doctoral education to its students in Laramie. Interactive video technology will allow Wyoming students to ³virtually² attend lectures at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Ore.
The program is part-time, with classes meeting twice per week, and will take about five years to complete, including dissertation research, Clarke said. ³This gives us the best of both worlds,² she said. ³They get one of the top nursing programs, plus they get our faculty to serve on their dissertation committee.²
Itıs beneficial to the state, she said, that these students can get their degrees without having to leave Wyoming. The applications are already in, and three graduate nursing students are expected to start taking classes this fall. Clarke said she is also looking into future collaborations with other universities, so there will be several options for nursing faculty with masterıs degrees to continue their education.
Printed with persmission of the Star-Tribune.