From Bachelors to Doctorate: MU Nursing Prepares Students for Variety of Health Care Careers

Lee, a nursing student, works with a manakin

There is no question that nursing is one of the cornerstones of the health care industry – and with a variety of quality, in-depth programs offered, Methodist University is on the rise as a staple of nursing education.

There is no question that nursing is one of the cornerstones of the health care industry – and with a variety of quality, in-depth programs offered, Methodist University is on the rise as a staple of nursing education.

Methodist University’s Nursing program launched in 2010, and has graduated nearly 200 students in its past decade-plus of existence. Graduates have gone onto successful professions at Cape Fear Valley Health, Duke Health, UNC Health, WakeMed Health and Hospitals and other large hospitals across the state and nation. In fact, many students are well positioned for high- quality jobs before they even graduate.

“Months before graduation, some of our graduates have already accepted positions with North Carolina hospitals. The others are on track with interviews,” said Dr. Shannon Matthews, chair and director of MU Nursing. “Whether it be in home health, pediatrics, emergency, intensive care unit, surgery, oncology or others, our graduates have their pick of the field.”

With five programs available, four of them online, anyone interested in a career as a nurse can find the path for them:

The University’s on-campus prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing program stands out with a low student-to-faculty ratio that reaches a 2-to-1 ratio for many labs. Students have the opportunity to learn inside the 10,000 square-foot MU General Simulation Hospital, which features an admitting/discharge area, pharmacy, skills lab, nurses’ station, private hospital rooms, pediatric ward, nursery, and triage suite.

Nursing students can even provide care to simulated manakin patients – an infant, 6-year-old boy, expecting mother and three adult men – creating real-life scenarios of how to manage multiple patients simultaneously.

“As an international student, I was still familiarizing myself with the health care system in the United States,” said Karma Choi, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student who will graduate this May. “The simulation hospital at MU helped me gain exposure to a professional health care setting while equipping me with the necessary skills and techniques to become a high-quality nurse.”

As previously mentioned, four of MU Nursing’s programs are offered through the convenience of online learning. Not only are the programs a perfect fit for active-duty military or those working a full-time job, but they are also taught by the same MU faculty who teach the on-campus program.

“From business leadership to research, there’s a lot more professional aspects involved with the online programs – making it a natural fit with the online environment. These programs are great for nurses interested in going into leadership and management positions,” Matthews said.

Better yet, the University will welcome its first class of students to the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership program this coming fall. It’s one of five new online programs launching at MU later this year.

“If you’re a nurse who has a master’s degree and you want to go ahead and complete a doctorate degree, this may be for you,” Matthews added. “This program consists of a doctoral project and additional coursework to compliment your master’s degree. This program prepares nurses to either advance in their careers or make the transition to teaching at a college or university.”

Whether on campus or online, all Methodist University nursing students are able to learn from a dedicated group of faculty who have experience in areas such as childbirth, case management, emergency, education and much more. The program also stands out with a bevy of interprofessional activities, allowing Nursing students to work with students from MU’s Physician Assistant Studies, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy programs from time to time.

For anyone interested in applying to one of the five Nursing programs offered by Methodist University, you can learn more information about the Prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and apply today for any one of the online programs.

Did You Know?

Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health recently announced a new partnership with the intent to establish a state-of-the-art Methodist University medical school that will train the next generation of health care professionals.

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