Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
You have probably seen messages today from the University and WSU Health Sciences leadership about the intentions for learning in the fall. While the faculty of the College of Nursing are supportive of returning to in-person learning on all campuses, we want to be sure that any return-to-campus process continues to be safe and informed by the best available evidence. And, while all of us remain optimistic about a summer/fall that approximates the “norm,” we are also mindful that our path forward is far from certain.
Therefore, we anticipate that our plans for summer and fall 2021 will continue to evolve as this current semester unfolds. We will continue to plan to hold our experiential learning sessions for the BSN program on the Spokane, Yakima and Tri-Cities campuses much as we have been for academic year 2020-21. Testing, screening, and on-campus presence will continue as directed by the emerging science and CDC recommendations. Clinical experiences with our partner institutions will also continue to the extent that the pandemic allows.
DNP experiential skills sessions will be determined and communicated when we feel that we have enough information to make these decisions but for now, DNP coursework in Summer/Fall 2021 will be supported off-campus using a blended format. Clinical experiential sessions will also continue as our provider partners are able to accommodate us. As we plan, we will reach out to all stakeholders (faculty, staff and students) for their perspectives and ideas in the final decision.
As always, the faculty and staff at WSU Nursing is committed to providing exemplary education and a supported student experience no matter the format – blended, online, or face-to-face. Please reach out to your faculty or program directors for more information or if you have questions. It’s important to remember that continual emerging circumstances of the pandemic may require changes to plans but what remains a constant is your preparation to deliver high quality patient care in a safe and effective way.
Thank you for your continued flexibility in these rapidly changing times. And, as I’m reminded daily – CougarOn.
Sincerely,
Mary Koithan, PhD, CNS-BC, FAAN
Dean, Washington State University College of Nursing