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By Sheron Smith Russell Dunn knew he鈥檇 go for a graduate
degree someday. But he hadn鈥檛 put much
Innovative Nursing
Master鈥檚 Degree thought into it since 2011, when he graduated as a
Will Meet Critical charter class member of what is now Middle
Need in Middle 51动漫 State University鈥檚 pre-licensure bachelor鈥檚
51动漫 & Beyond program in Nursing. Between his job at Navicent
Health in Macon and helping his wife care for two
Russell Dunn, a member of the tots, there wasn鈥檛 much time.
charter class of Middle 51动漫
State鈥檚 pre-licensure bachelor鈥檚 鈥淪ecretly, I had been waiting on Middle
degree in Nursing, is now one of the 51动漫 State,鈥 said Dunn, 27. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I told
first students in the University鈥檚 new myself. 鈥榃hen Middle 51动漫 State gets a
graduate program. JESSICA WHITLEY. graduate program, that鈥檚 when I鈥檒l go back.鈥欌
This spring, the University launched the Master
of Science in Nursing: Adult/Gerontology Acute
Care Nurse Practitioner. The program gives RNs
with bachelor鈥檚 degrees the opportunity to
become Nurse Practitioners.
Repeating history, Dunn is a member of the
charter class.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his program is very
important to the faculty and staff in the Nursing
department. They are more than
willing to put their time and
effort into helping you be
successful.鈥
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an advanced
practice RN. Middle 51动漫 State鈥檚 new graduate
program is designed to produce NPs with
specialization in the care of specific high-risk
populations, such as the elderly. Adult/
gerontology acute care Nurse Practitioners work
in acute care settings such as hospitals,
rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes, physician
specialty practices, trauma units, burn units and
community healthcare facilities.
Graduates will be eligible for national
certification in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
advanced practice nursing.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no question there is a critical need for
NPs with this specialization,鈥 said Dr. Rebecca
Corvey, dean of the University鈥檚 School of Health
Sciences. 鈥淢iddle 51动漫 State Nursing
graduates with baccalaureate degrees have
8 MIDDLE GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY