UWGB Online Learning Helps Nurses Stay Up-to-Date

September 24, 2001, New York, NY and Green Bay, WI -- Americans ask a lot of their nurses. We expect them to be up-to-date on the latest medical technology, to work long shifts, and to treat our illnesses - all with expertise and a smile. What most people forget is that, in addition to the rigorous demands of their professional lives, nurses have families and responsibilities outside of work.

BSN-LINC, an interactive online degree program, offers nurses a convenient way to continue their education in their limited free time. Established through a cooperative effort between the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB), University of Wisconsin Learning Innovations (UWLI), and NursingCenter, the world’s premier website for nurses, BSN-LINC stands for Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Learning Innovations, and NursingCenter.

“BSN-LINC provides tremendous flexibility for registered nurses," said Jane Muhl, Ph.D., R.N., Interim Dean of Professional Studies and Outreach at UW-Green Bay, “because they can enter the program while still maintaining a full- or part-time work schedule, which allows them to fit their study time around individual schedules, as well as to continue participating in other activities. Geographic boundaries will no longer prevent anyone from completing the degree."

According to Muhl, the program lets registered nurses with a diploma or an associate degree in nursing to further their nursing education and earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from UWGB, working in concert with four other University of Wisconsin Schools of Nursing. The Nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and has received preliminary approval from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Students receive individualized, Internet-based instruction from nursing faculty and progress through their studies from home or work. BSN-LINC’s instructional design also focuses on cooperative learning and team-based problem solving, which incorporates the collaborative environment of the workplace.

One student, Paulette Vrem of St. Paul, Minnesota says, “The BSN-LINC online program is a great learning experience. With my busy lifestyle, I can ‘enter’ class when the time is right for me. I also find that I use critical thinking more with online classes than in a regular class setting because what I write is there for everyone to critique. My classmates are all professional nurses with varied backgrounds, and the information I contribute needs to be thought provoking. And the professors are very supportive and helpful."

Says another student, Paula Molina Shaver of Meridian, Idaho, “I moved from one side of the country to the other just as classes were starting, and my computer was in storage. So I visited the local library every day to study, print out, and turn in assignments. Since class was over the Internet, I didn’t miss even one day!"

"NursingCenter is proud to join UWGB and UWLI in this outstanding program," said Andy McPhee, Director of Nursing Online for Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a leading publisher of nursing and healthcare information. "The program of study they offer and the depth of nursing information offered by NursingCenter is a great fit. We offer access to the nation's top nursing journals, a vast array of continuing education opportunities, interactive nursing forums, a robust career center, and an e-commerce marketplace where students and practicing nurses can purchase nursing-related products."

For more information about BSN-LINC and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, please visit NursingCenter at http://www.nursingcenter.com, or call BSN-LINC’s toll-free hotline at (877) 656-1483.