New graduate program offerings enhance opportunities to reach learners where they are

If recent events have taught us nothing else, it is the importance of technology to learning cannot be underestimated. The future-focused Stackable Certificate Master of Nursing Program (laddered pathway), launched in 2019, has already demonstrated that increasing accessibility to education opens doors to learners looking to combine work and personal life with enhanced scholarship. It consists of one-year certificates offered via blended online delivery.

On completion of two certificates, students may apply for admission into the MN program to finish the degree in one additional year. When Tralene Grillone, BN’03, made the move from acute care to tele-triage nursing, she discovered she had more time to connect with patients. She also developed a love for patient teaching.

She began the Innovations in Teaching and Learning stream of the stackable program in 2019. “I can see a lot of potential in all the different places I could go with this. I think the sky’s the limit.”

The creation of the program was a response to the serious shortage of graduate-prepared registered nurses, but is a pathway for other health-care leaders, says Dr. Kathryn King-Shier (PhD), associate dean, graduate programs.

“Our first offerings in addiction and mental health, aging, leadership and innovations in teaching and learning indicate the need for diverse teaching and learning approaches to suit the 21st century student,” she says. “We now have an e-learning team to support technology-integrated instruction helping to build these flexible routes and those that are coming. We are excited to contribute to new competencies in evidence-informed practice and systems thinking.”