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-- by Elinor Miller Greenberg, Ed.D, NEON Consultant
October 1, 2003
"I'm just not sure that I can add another thing to my life right now," commented Cindy.
"I know how you feel. I'm constantly juggling my two jobs--one as our community hospital nursing administrator and the other as a part-time faculty member at the community college. In addition, I'm trying to manage my household, my marriage and two teen-aged children," responded Sally. "But, I love to teach and I want to expand that part of my career," she continued. "I also know that it's really hard to be a first-rate nursing instructor without doing some new research. It's really a dilemma."
"Even though I don't have a husband and children, my aging mother lives with me and needs a lot of attention," mused Cindy. "I also do work for my church and volunteer for various senior organizations. Because of that, I've become interested in gerontology, but I don't have much training in that area. My academic career as a full-time faculty member at the community college is limited because I don't have a doctorate. As our college grows, I think the school will need a Nursing Department administrator with a doctorate. Don't you agree? I'd like to be qualified to apply for that position if it becomes available, as well as continue to teach. And who knows, maybe I could even become a member of the University's faculty-at-a-distance, or adjunct faculty, if only I had a PhD," continued Cindy.
Sally answered, "You know, maybe we both could go back to graduate school together. And, maybe we could apply to one of those new distance learning programs we've been hearing so much about. Then we could do courses online after work; and, maybe, even use that new interactive video system that links the University to our community college. That would be exciting. Just imagine, we might be able to complete our PhD's while still in our forties and have a long career-life ahead of us!"
"You've convinced me, Sally. I'll go online tonight and search for distance learning nursing PhD programs. I think we'll find some in our state, or the western states, that are especially interested in increasing the number of qualified nursing faculty, particularly rural nurses, like us, who are place-bound," said Cindy. "I'll also look in my recent alumni journal and see if there's any information about new PhD opportunities. Even though my alma mater only offers nursing programs at the baccalaureate and masters levels, many schools are partnering with other schools so that their alumni and local nurses can continue to progress up the credentials ladder," stated Cindy.
"And, I'll start asking other nursing faculty at the college what they know about distance learning nursing PhD programs that are especially designed for Masters-prepared faculty," Sally responded. "I'll bet we could do our doctoral programs together, learn more about teaching and nursing education, and each pursue our own research interests."
Sally continued, "I'm excited. It's time for me to take action on behalf of my own future, since my teen-agers will soon be off to college. It's my turn now! Besides, we've been talking about the nursing shortage for years, and it's not getting any better. It's time for us to become part of the solution by helping to solve the shortage of doctorally-prepared nursing faculty. Then, we could expand our local faculty at the Masters level, and accept more new nursing students into our Associate's Degree program. I'm up for it, are you?"
This conversation could have taken place in any American college cafeteria where faculty gather to share professional and personal interests. Working adults all have the same issues when it comes to returning to school, and they have had these same issues for many years: lack of time and money, and finding programs that offer convenient access to further education. Juggling the responsibilities of work, family, and community life are THE major challenges for all adult students, regardless of postsecondary level, discipline, or geographical location. In rural areas, the issues are often exacerbated by learners being at extended distances from major universities.
"After twenty-five years of considering whether to return to school for my doctorate and answering, 'no', I was now answering, 'yes. There seems to be an 'unfinished agenda'.The main reasons are my own internal ones. My children were grown; my husband had changed careers; and now it was my turn. For I had taken my future into my own hands and was moving forward with it. I felt 'in charge' of myself again."1
And now, as the 21st Century begins, new distance learning technologies and innovative programs are maturing and rapidly increasing in size and number at most American postsecondary education institutions. Some data from the U.S. Department of Education's report, Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions: 2000-20012 tell the story.
There were 15.3 million postsecondary students enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education in the Fall of 2000.
During the 2000-2001 academic year, 56% (2,330) of all degree-granting institutions offered distance education courses and generated an estimated 3,077,000 enrollments.
Approximately 2,876,000 of those enrollments were in college-level, credit-bearing distance education courses.
18% (510,000) of these credit granting distance education enrollments were at the graduate level, with 1,700 institutions offering 880 graduate courses.
The majority (90%) of the institutions reported using asynchronous, computer-based, Internet-delivered online instruction.
51% of the institutions reported using two-way video with two-way audio instruction.
27% of the distance education institutions participated in a regional consortium.
Most of the distance education institutions reported that their primary goal was to increase student access by using distance learning technologies and convenient locations, reducing time constraints by varying traditional schedules, and making postsecondary education more affordable. Distance education has certainly come a long way in a very short time, as institutions recognize the needs of adult learners and use technology to meet these needs. Also, mature returning students are ideal distance learners because they usually are highly motivated and self-disciplined. Research has shown that these two characteristics are THE most important when it comes to being a successful online student.3 Today's adults are also increasingly computer-savvy, and enjoy enhancing their computer skills by taking online courses. Distance education is a wonderful new response to both the needs and characteristics of working adult learners.
While the challenges of going to school while working may always exist, recent research shows some of the differences between "employees who study" and "students who work."4 The demographics of working adult students have become quite familiar over the past few decades. Most returning adult students, and especially graduate students, are women over 40 years of age who are employed, married, and have dependents. They work full-time and are enrolled in school part-time; therefore, they take longer than their younger counterparts to complete their degree programs. Most of them consider themselves to be "employees who study", not "students who work". Some schools refer to the former as 'non-traditional students' and the latter as 'traditional students'. Although these distinctions may seem minute and insignificant, they are important to the definitions and assumptions which undergird the designs and implementations of degree programs. Potential students would be wise to keep these ideas in mind as they investigate various graduate programs. Do your priorities match those of the institution? Is the institution prepared to meet your working adult needs?
In nursing, we are now, and for the foreseeable future, experiencing both a shortage of young new nurses and of mature experienced doctorally-prepared nursing faculty. This combination of shortages is becoming a threat to the quality of our healthcare systems. Although each community is unique and each region of the country has special demographic and cultural characteristics, the need for well-trained healthcare personnel is universal. Some recent studies have even begun to link patient safety with the educational level of the nursing staff. 5 Nursing associations, educational institutions, licensing boards, healthcare agencies and providers are all analyzing the impact of these conditions on the entire healthcare system.
The NEON project has been designed to address the shortage of doctorally-prepared nursing faculty in the 15 Western states associated with WICHE, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. By working together as partners, the institutions of higher education in NEON are developing and sharing distance education graduate level courses and PhD programs. These new partnerships have as their primary goal "to increase access to doctoral programs in nursing," as well as to meet the needs of role-complex, working adult learners in both urban and rural communities.
Cindy and Sally are but two prototype nurses for whom the NEON project was created. Could it be that YOU are also a potential NEON project doctoral student?
To find the nursing PhD program that is just right for you, please click on the name of the NEON partner schools on this web site that interest you in order to link to those schools' web sites!
Welcome to nursingPhD.org. We are glad that you found us! And, best wishes to you as you become one of the thousands of working adult learners, and one of the unique working nurses, who are now returning to school through various distance learning programs. You are truly a 21 st Century pioneer!
"Being a student again has helped me, as an educator and administrator. I have 'walked in the other person's moccasins'. There are no 'quick and dirty' formulas or answers. What I have confirmed from becoming a student again is that my love affair with learning is still alive and well."6
Notes
1 Greenberg, E. M. (1991). Weaving: The fabric of a woman's life . Littleton , CO : EMG and Associates. (Reprinted from Becoming a student again, by E. M. Greenberg, November 6, 1979, Littleton, CO: Arapahoe Independent Newspaper)
2 Waits, T., & Lewis, L. (2003). Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions: 2000-2001 (NCES 2003-17). Washington , D.C. : National Center for Education Statistics.
3 Greenberg, E. M., Vojir, C. P., & Whitney, F. W. (2000). Listening to MAPP online voices: Learning and teaching over the internet . Aurora , CO : Colorado Area Health Education Center (AHEC) System, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center .
4 Berker, A., & Horn, L. (2003). Work First, Study Second: Adult Undergraduates Who Combine Employment and Postsecondary Enrollment ( NCES 2003-167). Washington , D.C. : National Center for Education Statistics.
5 Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S. P., Cheung, R. B., Sloane, D. M., & Silber, J. H. (2003). Educational levels of hospital nurses and surgical patient mortality. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 290 (12), 1617-1623.
6 Greenberg, E. M. (1991). Weaving: The fabric of a woman's life . Littleton , CO : EMG and Associates. (Reprinted from A year later..being a student again , by E. M Greenberg, October 6, 1980, Littleton, CO: Arapahoe Independent Newspaper) |
