Greetings!

Hello, my name is Lorraine Zoromski and I am an assistant professor and the new program director of the RN to BSN program at UW-Stevens Point. There are three faculty members in the BSN program: myself, Heidi Wincentsen and Sharon Frazier. Scroll to the bottom to read more about us!

Our program wanted to create a newsletter to allow you to keep in touch with UWSP while you are completing your Associate Degree in Nursing. We know how hard you are working but we wanted to let you know we are here supporting your progress toward the BSN. The faculty, staff and I are proud of you and are here to help you achieve your dreams!

Expansion to Wausau

We are excited to announce that our RN to BSN hybrid program has expanded to Wausau!! We are offering our hybrid nursing courses on the Stevens Point campus on Wednesdays every other week and on the Wausau campus on Thursdays every other week.

Flexible Classes

What do we mean when we say hybrid classes? Hybrid is a combination approach, combining face-to-face with online learning. These hybrid classes give you the flexibility of online learning with the benefit of having some face to face contact with instructors and other nurses going back to school. By providing hybrid courses it allows us to limit the face to face classes to every other week, or 8 times within the 16-week semester, increasing the convenience while allowing ongoing interaction with your peers and instructors. Classes have a mix of nurses who are at different points in their careers. This has been proven to enhance learning.

Two nursing classes are offered each semester in the hybrid format. In Wausau, both classes are offered on Thursday; in Stevens Point, both are offered on Wednesdays. Hybrid classes may not be workable for you, so in that case we are part of the UW BSN at Home consortium which allows you to take nursing classes online.

BSN completion courses while in the last year of your ADN

NURS 310 BSN Completion Introductory Course
We have a couple of NURS 310 - Professional Essentials classes running in spring 2019. If you are a third- or fourth-semester student, you are eligible to start your BSN completion courses. NURS 310 is a one-credit course that introduces you to the completion program and provides course work that prepares you for success in the program. Spring Offerings:

• UWSP at Wausau:
  • 11 a.m.-12:50 p.m. on Feb. 7, Feb. 14, March 7
• Mid-State Technical College (Wis. Rapids):
  • 4-5 p.m. on April 2, April 9, May 7

Contact adviser Tiff Akins for questions about enrolling in the NURS 310 class to get started on BSN completion.

NURS 455 Capstone Course Update

Nursing Capstone (NURS 455 - Concepts in Nursing Practice) is a course at the end of the BSN completion program where the student is linked with a preceptor and completes a scholarly project related to nursing in an area of interest.  

Four BSN students are completing their Capstone course this fall 2018, including three who are doing their project in partnership with a medical student from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Wausau. This is a new partnership where our BSN completing students are paired with a medical student to complete or advance a community project. Those projects are currently centered around:

• evaluating the efficacy of Opioid contracts in patients
• educating the elderly in the important health benefits of social engagement with advancing age
• the LENA project where parents are taught the importance of social engagement with their children who are 2 years or younger

The fourth student is working with Aspirus on evaluating operating room traffic and its potential effects related to surgical site infection.

Our students are demonstrating the leadership, research and critical thinking skills that are at the core of our program! We are so proud of them!

Congratulations Austin Gilbert, Jean Ostrowski, Marie Rubey and Natalie Connor on your upcoming graduation!

Get to Know UWSP Nursing