Title:Expanding opportunities in nursing

As part of its commitment to addressing pressing health needs in society, Georgetown’s Berkley School of Nursing has launched three programs this year: the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN), a postgraduate certificate program in psychiatric mental health nursing, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.).

“Each of these programs aligns with our Jesuit values around promoting health equity and living out the core principles of our nursing profession and our ethical tenet of social justice,” says Dean Roberta Waite.

Unique in the country for the program’s focus on health equity and ethics, the Ph.D. bolsters the school’s mission to generate knowledge that will transform health care systems, as well as advance equity and improve health for individuals in different contexts.

The program will cultivate the next generation of nurse scientists in community-engaged scholarship and advance understanding of how structures in society lead to health disparities and health inequities. “It’s not enough to know about differences,” Waite says. “We must examine what drives these differences—the structural determinants of health—and evaluate how our work advances structural and policy change to ensure wellbeing.”

To help support a growing national need in the area of mental health and well-being, the school now offers a post-graduate certificate for psychiatric-mental health.

“One in five people have a diagnosable mental health condition, and the vast majority of people do not have access to quality care, because we do not have enough licensed mental health providers,” says Waite.

Students in the program, steeped in the values of cura personalis or care for the whole person, develop competencies in psychiatric assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and evidence-based interventions during clinical practicum experiences in the DC area. Completion of the program allows practitioners to address individual, family and population mental health promotion and prevention needs across the lifespan including medication management and counseling.

Waite notes that the potential impact of the program is vast. “They work with children all the way up to more seasoned populations, so they can provide mental health care across the lifespan and in different contexts—in acute care, in primary care, and in community-based contexts.”

In order to expand access to nursing education and also help diversify the profession, the Accelerated BSN program brings in people with undergraduate degrees and professional experience in other fields. Certain prerequisites must be satisfied before admission to the program, allowing students to take only nursing courses and to complete the degree in just 12 months. The hybrid program offers online courses and in-person clinical simulation at Georgetown, with clinical rotations at MedStar Health and other regional facilities.

Waite notes that the ABSN curriculum is driving innovation in teaching and learning, introducing new health technology and simulation to the school. And the students bring diverse perspectives to the classroom by the very nature of the program.

“Because you’re getting people who’ve worked in other areas, their take on things might be different,” says Waite. “These are experienced adults entering a new profession, and they bring so much wisdom.”