Kansas City, MO – Research College of Nursing (RCoN) announces it will suspend admission to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program after January 15, 2022. The final cohort for the MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner track will graduate in December 2024 – alongside the final cohort of the online Executive Practice & Healthcare Leadership and Nurse Educator tracks.
As the region’s largest, and longest running single purpose institution, Research College of Nursing remains committed to supporting professional nurses in achieving their educational goals. Strategic planning is underway as the College evaluates (post-) graduate programs. This decision anticipates changing accreditation standards and places RCoN at the forefront of innovations in nursing education.
“We are proactively evaluating our academic offerings and confident this will provide our nursing students with the excellence in education that is going to be required for the future of nursing,” says RCoN Dean, Rebecca Saxton, PhD, RN, CNE.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) works to establish quality standards for nursing education and has outlined a new model and framework called the “New Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.” It is the expectation for schools of nursing across the nation to have the New Essentials implemented by January 2024.
Research College of Nursing administration and Governing Board are taking a proactive approach to ensure its academic programs maintain their standard of excellence preparing the nursing workforce of the future.
“We look forward to beginning our market analysis. Understanding the ever-changing, complex healthcare environments of the 21st century will allow the College to develop new programs that reflect the needs of the communities we serve,” says RCoN President Thad Wilson, PhD, RN, FAAN.
“In addition to increasing enrollment in our pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, we are exploring the possibility of a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program,” says Dr. Saxton. RCoN recently ranked number 5 among the Best Nursing Schools in Missouri by Nursing Schools Almanac, number 1 in the Kansas City area. The college has experienced record growth in the past five years as its BSN cohort capacity increased 40%.
“Employers trust our graduates to fulfill key nursing roles in their organizations. It is our vision to be the college of choice for nurses who desire to lead in practice, service and advocacy,” says Dr. Wilson.