Sinclair Community College is known for its two-year associates degrees. It’s also known for its long-running nursing program. The Dayton college will soon offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program. Dr. Robyn Razor, Chair and Program administrator of the Nursing Program at Sinclair, spoke with WYSO’s Mike Frazier about the program.
Dr. Robyn Razor: Our program is not the traditional baccalaureate of science nursing program. What Sinclair is offering is a BS in completion. Our program is for students who are already licensed registered nurses, so they will be completing their BSN. And that's different than the traditional program, that BSN program that you'll see offered at universities.
The completion program is only 18 months all online. So they come already with their license... At the end of that 18 months, they will be awarded the Bachelors of Science in Nursing Credential.
Mike Frazier: Now, can they get their R.N. as Sinclair?
Dr. Razor: Oh, yes. Oh, definitely. We offer an associate degree. We call it the associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing. So, yes…We are very proud of the program that we offer in our AAS or Associate of Applied Science Program. They get that degree, they take the in-class, they receive their credential and license of registered nurse. They can then go and work in the field as a highly prepared, qualified registered nurse, and then they can come back to us to do the BSN completion program.
Mike: What unique aspects does Sinclair's B.S. program in nursing have compared to other institutions?
Dr. Razor: It's affordable. It is totally online. So nurses can continue to work. They can maintain their balance with their life and their families.
It also is the first step for nurses who want to pursue an advanced licensure like nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist. They need that BSN to get into those programs as well.
Mike: What advantages would a B.S. in nursing have for for folks? You mentioned a few of those. Are there any others?
Dr. Razor: Research has shown that baccalaureate-prepared nurses contribute to better outcomes for patients. However, we do want to ensure that outcomes for patients are not solely dependent on the educational level of the nurse. Yet having a BSN puts you in a position to practice across the health settings, whether it's in-patient, out-patient, ambulatory. The BSN does better prepare you for that.
Mike: Is this exclusively an online program or is there any in-person instruction?
Dr. Razor: The BSN completion program is totally online. However, there are some courses that the students might choose to take as electives. If they choose electives, those can be delivered in either format, online or face to face. But the BSN program itself is completely online.
Mike: Is Sinclair working with any health care providers in this or do you have everything you need in-house?
Dr. Razor: We do need our health care providers. So we are very proud that our clinical partners are supportive of us moving in this direction. And we will utilize our partners to provide any clinical experiences that the students will need as they complete this program. So our three major networks are supportive of us and we're very happy that they have given us their support and approval.
Mike: Is this program underway or does it have a debut date?
Dr. Razor: Our debut date of January of 2024 is when we will accept our first cohort of our BS in completion students. And we're very excited about that.
That was Dr. Robyn Razor, Chair and Program administrator of the Nursing Program at Sinclair Community College.
