FSCC board considers revising nursing program

Fort Scott, Kan. -- To help improve recent lower-than-normal passing rates on certification exams and to lessen the burden on students in the Fort Scott Community College Nursing Program, the FSCC Board of Trustees plans to consider revising the existing program.

During their regular meeting Monday in the FSCC Heritage Room, 2108 S. Horton St., trustees will review an application to revise the current nursing program at FSCC. Trustees will then vote on the revisions following the review.

According to FSCC documents, first-time pass rates for FSCC students who take the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) continue to average below 80 percent, which caused concern with the Kansas State Board of Nursing.

Every nursing student is required to pass the exam in order to become a registered nurse anywhere in the United States.

Because of higher criteria for admission implemented by the Kansas State Department of Nursing, students in nursing programs across the state are required to earn at least an 80 percent on the licensing exam. Students and faculty at FSCC indicated a need for more knowledge in the medical and surgical categories on the exam, according to FSCC documents.

To help alleviate this problem, program officials have moved two credit hours from a survey course of nursing into the core curriculum of the FSCC program to add medical and surgical content.

Another problem officials encountered is that students who failed either section of the combined courses, Chronic and Restorative Health Care or The Evolving Family, would fail the entire course. To help solve this problem for students, these two courses have been divided into two parts so students will not have to repeat the entire course content, nor will they have to pay tuition for credit hours already completed in these courses, an FSCC statement said.

On Monday, trustees plan to review other revisions to the current nursing program, including changes in curriculum, admission and graduation requirements, and outside accreditation. The board will then consider approval of those revisions.

The board also plans to conduct the following business:

* Consider the resignation of network specialist Jason Gillespie; the transfer of HVAC instructor Chris Sterrett to the position of associate dean of Occupational Programs; and the hiring of Susan Messer as a library assistant, and Jessie Hamel as an office manager for the Kansas City Truck Driving Program.

* Consider approval of the September treasurers report, which showed a $3 million starting cash balance, nearly $2 million in expenses, $1.4 million in revenue, and a $2.4 million ending cash balance.

* Accept the low bid of $16,954 from Village Charters in Wichita to transport the FSCC football team to Arizona for the upcoming Valley of the Sun bowl game scheduled to take place on Dec. 1. The team is expected to leave Nov. 27, and return Dec. 2. FSCC President Clayton Tatro is also scheduled to provide an update on the bowl game for trustees.

* Consider approval of the $14,895 purchase of a New Holland TC30 utility tractor with funds from the college's maintenance budget. The tractor will be used for mowing and snow removal.