FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2009
Contact: Macaulay Knight
mknight@pa.muw.edu
(662) 329-7119

MUW nursing has noteworthy accomplishments  

COLUMBUS, Miss. – The graduate nursing program at Mississippi University for Women announces for the third consecutive year a 100 percent pass rate on the American Nurses Credentialing Center nurse practitioner exam. The program once again surpassed the national average score of 397.07 scoring an average 413.19.

The test covers basic knowledge and practices nurse practitioners are required to master and serves as the credentialing exam for all nurse practitioners throughout the United States.

 “The W has always had a high pass rate and our graduates are highly sought after for positions in health care provision for our state,” said Dr. Patsy Smyth, professor and chair of the graduate nursing program at MUW. “This fine work is a result of the exceptional faculty at our school.”

In addition to its successful pass rate, the program has received a Department of Health and Human Services Resources and Services Administration grant for $39,795 for the 2010 fiscal year.

Dr. Sheila Adams, dean of the College of Nursing and Speech-Language Pathology said, “MUW’s graduate nursing program, established in 1975, was the first graduate nurse practitioner program in Mississippi and the only nurse practitioner program until the late 1990s. Graduates of this program have assumed leadership roles in healthcare throughout the state, region and country and have received prestigious awards and recognitions such as the National Pfizer Advanced Nurse Practitioner Award for Exceptional Contributions to Health Care.”

In other nursing news, the faculty, staff and leadership team were recently recognized for their excellence in providing outstanding nursing programs. The university’s MSN, BSN and ASN programs all received full ongoing accreditation for Mississippi Nursing Degree Programs from the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. All three programs also have been continually accredited by the appropriate national accrediting bodies, the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (ASN) and the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (BSN and MSN).

"The results of this recent accreditation review reinforces the fact that the nursing programs at Mississippi University for Women are among the best in the region. The faculty monitor the latest trends in patient care and constantly update the curriculum and learning opportunities to guarantee that our students are well prepared to enter the profession. MUW nursing graduates are highly sought after and become leaders in the profession as they advance their careers," said Dr. Sandra Jordan, MUW provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Two alumnae of the graduate nursing program were recognized by the Mississippi Nurses Association and Mississippi Nurses Foundation. Dr. Mary Ware (’78), retired director of Nursing Education for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Education, was inducted into the Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement and Becky Rogers Dorough (’02) was recognized as the Mississippi Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year.

The university’s nursing school, which was recognized as the 2007 Mississippi Nursing School of the Year, offers three distinguished programs of study, the associate, bachelor and master of science in nursing degrees. All classes are taught by master and doctoral degreed faculty representing diverse national institutions such as Emory, Case Western Reserve, Florida State University, Texas Woman's University and Vanderbilt.