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UW-Oshkosh BS-Nursing Completion Program

Complete your BSN Degree without leaving Manitowoc!

This new collaborative degree program is a partnership of UW-Sheboygan, UW-Manitowoc, Lakeshore Technical College and UW-Oshkosh and available to individuals currently working in the nursing field in Sheboygan and Manitowoc counties.

This program is designed for those currently in the nursing field with an Associate Degree or Diploma who want to complete their bachelor’s degree in the field. After surveying all local health care providers in Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties, along with input from members of the Health Care Alliance from both counties, this unique program providing face-to-face instruction for BSN students evolved.

The program debuted in summer 2005 with a one-credit orientation session, followed by classes in fall 2005 on both the UW-Manitowoc and UW-Sheboygan campuses. Required nursing courses and needed general education courses are offered on both campuses each semester. UW-Oshkosh nursing faculty teach specific UW-Oshkosh nursing courses on the UW-Manitowoc, UW-Sheboygan and Lakeshore Technical College campuses on a rotating basis.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...

• Contact Nancy Ahrens, the UW-Oshkosh RN-BSN Completion Program Coordinator and Advisor
  • Phone - (920) 683-2828, or (920) 323-4239
  • E-mail - nancy.ahrens@uwc.edu or ahrensn@uwosh.edu
• Call the UW-Manitowoc Student Services Office at 920-683-4707
• Visit  the UW-Oshkosh College of Nursing on the web and click on "Programs" or scroll to the bottom for specific information under "New"

NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT THE BSN PROGRAM

Manitowoc Public Health Department offers area nursing students practical experience (9/6/06)

While the classroom provides an excellent foundation of knowledge for today’s students, sometimes real-world experience is the best learning tool.

And for today’s nurses, there is no better learning tool than practicing nursing in the public health arena, according to Nancy Ahrens, RN, MSN, CCRN, coordinator of the Lakeshore Area BSN Completion Program. The program, which is offered by UW Oshkosh, is a collaborative effort of the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc, University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan and Lakeshore Technical College (LTC).

The local program allows place-bound working nurses in Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties to complete their bachelor’s degree in nursing without having to relocate or travel a great distance to attend classes.

Students in the BSN Completion Program can achieve this real-world experience through a partnership with Manitowoc County Health Department. Ahrens has been able to place many of her students with Public Health programs, which have offered them new skills and experiences.

“The Public Health clinical experience is a very important part of the BSN program, and it adds to the global perspective in the field of nursing,” Ahrens said. “The students deal more with populations, and less with one-on-one patient settings, which is typically seen in nursing.”

Lakeshore Area BSN students working in the Manitowoc County Health Department have the opportunity to participate in virtually any program provided by the agency, such as mom/baby home visits, infectious disease follow-up and case management, hotel, restaurant and environmental inspections, immunization programs, tobacco programming and women, infants and children nutrition programs.  BSN students are also placed in programs in Sheboygan and Calumet counties.

In their clinical experience at the Manitowoc County Health Department, students shadowed various workers such as nurses, environmental specialists and nutritionists, according to Amy Wergin, RN, BSN, Manitowoc County Director of Public Health Nursing.  They also completed special projects, some of which included hand-washing education for children, outreach supporting healthy, smoke-free air, and promoting recreational waters for families with disabilities.

“We want students to learn about what Public Health Nursing is, and give them experience in the variety of areas it covers, said Wergin.  The experience follows the department’s mission:  “to protect and promote the health of the people of Manitowoc County .”  “We hope that these students incorporate these skills and lessons beyond the clinical setting and perhaps even pursue Public Health Nursing as their specialty.”

For BSN student and registered nurse Lori Hagen, the Public Health experience was an eye-opening one.

“I was really surprised by the wide variety of areas public health nursing involves,” Hagen noted. “I participated in everything from immunization clinics and jail nursing to car seat safety checks and teen-mom visits.”  Hagen, who works as a registered nurse at Aurora Medical Center in Two Rivers, said that she especially enjoyed jail nursing.

“I also became very aware of the importance of Public Health in the community,” Hagen adds.  “The public health department is the only resource available to some citizens.”

The Public Health setting is the perfect place for BSN students to gain practical experience, Ahrens added, since Public Health nurses are required by state statutes to hold a Bachelor’s of Nursing, and many times these practical experiences spark an interest that leads to a life-long career in the Public Health field.

“The opportunity that the Manitowoc Public Health Department has given the students is that it adds another perspective to their nursing knowledge,” Ahrens said. “The experience gives the students an understanding of resources available to their patients regardless of where they work and what they do. Public health nursing is an essential part of our community, which is not always recognized for the contributions they make to society as a whole.”

The second full year of the Lakeshore Area BSN Program kicked off this fall. Classes rotate among the three participating campuses, with nursing classes offered at UW-Sheboygan for the fall 2006 semester. Spring semester classes will take place at Lakeshore Technical College .  

For more information on the program, contact Ahrens at (920) 323-4239, or by e-mail to ahrensn@uwosh.edu. You can also call the UW-Manitowoc Student Services Office at (920) 683-4707 or visit the campus Web site at www.uwmanitowoc.uwc.edu.

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Summer Course to Focus on Fitness for Health Care Providers (5/31/06)

A course offered this summer at the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc aims to give those working in the healthcare field a blueprint for better fitness and a healthy lifestyle.  “Fitness for Life” will examine the effects of lifestyle, wellness, and health, and will give instruction for fitness self evaluation and development.

According to Nancy Ahrens, UW-Oshkosh RN-BSN Completion Program Coordinator and Advisor, the course is paying special attention to the fitness concerns for health care providers at the request of students pursuing degrees in the healthcare field.  “Students felt it would be very useful to have some of their unique and special concerns addressed,” she explains.

In response to the students’ needs, parts of the course will concentrate on how people including nurses, certified nursing assistants, therapists and others can squeeze fitness into their busy lifestyles, as well as how to minimize the risk of injury on the job.  Steve Adams, Assistant Professor of Physical Education at UW-Manitowoc, will address topics such as lifting, stretching, injury prevention, and making fitness fun, and family-oriented.

The course will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning June 13th through August 3 from 4:30-7:00 p.m.  Participation in a planned program of aerobic activity is required.  Ahrens adds that this is also a great course to start with if you are just thinking about pursuing a degree in the healthcare field. 

Registration will continue at UW-Manitowoc until June 18 and can be completed in person, by mail, or online for students who have already been admitted to UW-Manitowoc.  To apply online, visit the web at http://uwhelp.wisconsin.edu.  Applications can also be picked up in the Student Services Office at 705 Viebahn Street , Manitowoc .

Advisors are available to discuss course selection, course equivalencies, program planning, registration and other academic needs.  For more information call the Student Services Office at 920-683-4707, or visit UW-Manitowoc’s web site at www.uwmanitowoc.uwc.edu.

For more information about the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Bachelor of Science-Nursing Degree Completion program, contact Nancy Ahrens, at (920) 683-2828 or (920) 323-4239, or by e-mail to nahrens@uwc.edu, or ahrensn@uwosh.edu.

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Aurora Health Foundation supports Lakeshore Area BSN program (2/24/06)

In an effort to support the advanced education of local nursing professionals , the Aurora Health Foundation has provided a generous gift to the Lakeshore Area Bachelor of Science-Nursing (BSN) Degree Completion Program. The grant will help to support the program’s expenses in its first year.

The BSN program , which debuted in summer 2005 , is offered by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh as a collaborative degree program on the UW-Manitowoc , UW-Sheboygan and Lakeshore Technical College campuses for professionals already working in the nursing profession. The three local host campuses offer classes , taught by a UW-Oshkosh instructor , on a rotating semester basis. As a result , students need not leave their jobs or home communities to advance their nursing degrees to the bachelor’s level.

“UW-Manitowoc is grateful for the support of the Aurora Health Foundation as it will help the BSN Completion Program partners provide the lakeshore area with highly educated nurses , ” said Mary Beth Emmerichs , UW-Manitowoc Interim Dean and CEO.   “We thank the Aurora Health Foundation for its generosity to the program and for its understanding of the challenges faced by local nursing students.  All of the lakeshore communities will benefit from having Bachelor’s Degrees available to nurses close to home.”

For more information about the Lakeshore Area BSN Degree Completion Program , contact Nancy Ahrens , RN , MSN , program community outreach coordinator , at (920) 323-4239 or e-mail ahrensn@uwosh.edu.