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Studies conducted by interested community health care administrators and nurse educators
in the 1960s revealed a pressing need for a baccalaureate nursing program. In September 1973,
Wright State University started the first baccalaureate nursing program in the Dayton area.
The program opened with sixty-one students. In 1975, eleven students became the first
graduates, nine of whom were already registered nurses. Now about 600 undergraduates are
enrolled each year. The undergraduate program also includes an
RN/BSN track for registered
nurses who wish to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. The Wright State Universi
ty School of Nursing received full accreditation from the National League for Nursing in May
1976.
In January 1978, the program admitted the first students to its masters program. Just a year
and a half later, in June 1979, the first graduates completed the program. Within six months,
in December 1979, the College received National League for Nursing accreditation for a period
of eight years for both the masters and baccalaureate programs. Currently, approximately 200
students are enrolled in the masters program each year, including RN students with a bachelors
degree in another field in the bridge program. In July 1997, the program received
re-accreditation from the National League for Nursing for both baccalaureate and master's
programs for eight years. In 1993, the Family Nurse Practitioner track was added to the
masters program which included community health, adult health, education, and administration
tracks. Later that year, the program received federal funding to begin the Family Nurse
Practitioner track. In 1995, a child and adolescent health track was begun with federal
support. Although originally called a School of Nursing the program was approved as the
College of Nursing and Health in 1995. In 1998, the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program was
initiated with federal funding. In fall 2000, a graduate program for school nursing was
initiated.
In June 1984, the college entered into a collaborative agreement with the Division of
Nursing at Miami Valley Hospital to form a Center for Excellence in nursing education. This
agreement affords unique opportunities for research, clinical practice, and education. The
College of Nursing and Health has contracts with approximately 100 clinical agencies in the
area which are used for clinical experiences and research. For many years, the program had a
mobile health unit which provided valuable learning experiences for students and service to
the community.
Further outreach to the community takes place through the Center for Healthy Communities, an
outgrowth of a grant originally funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for multi disciplinary
health care activities.
In 1993, H.B. 478 established Wright State, Case Western Reserve, and University of Cincinnati
as Advanced Practice Nursing pilot projects. This legislation allows advanced practice nurses
to be reimbursed through the Ohio Department of Human Services. ODHS has established rules
and regulations for reimbursement of advanced practice nurses.
The bill requires a formulary committee of advanced practice nurses appointed by the Ohio
Board of Nursing, physicians appointed by the Ohio Board of Medicine, a pharmacist appointed
by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy and the State Commissioner of Health to recommend rules and
regulations for prescriptive authority, develop a formulary, and approve prescriptive
protocols for advanced practice nurses in the pilot projects. In May 2000 advanced practice
nurses received prescriptive authority.
In 2001, the College received its first National Institute of Nursing Research grant. Dean Patricia Martin spearheaded Cameos of Caring, a regional collaboration of health care organizations honoring bedside nurses who exemplify excellence in nursing care. The Nursing Institute of West Central Ohio, a federally funded collaboration among nursing education programs, health care agencies and administrators in a 16 county region, was established and housed at Wright State in 2005. |
