EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
for the
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN
NURSING
Submitted to:
The Florida Department of Education
by
MIAMI DADE COLLEGE
School of Nursing
December 15, 2006
Miami Dade College
Proposal for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree
(BSN)
Executive Summary
December 15, 2006
I. PROGRAM GOALS & OUTCOMES
The primary goal of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree proposal at Miami Dade
College (MDC) is to provide students and practicing nurses with a high quality, accessible,
cost-effective, and seamless academic program designed to meet the critical workforce need
for baccalaureate-prepared nurses in the State of Florida. The proposed BSN program, at the
MDC Medical Center Campus School of Nursing, is intended to provide increased
opportunities for:
1. Professional registered nurses (RNs) who are graduates of associate degree
nursing programs to matriculate into a baccalaureate degree program in the
same environment where they have experienced academic success.
2. An affordable baccalaureate degree for RNs from under-represented groups and
low-income families who cannot afford high tuition costs.
3. Students in need of flexible scheduling of courses including days, evenings, and
weekends.
4. Working/practicing nurses who may wish to pursue a baccalaureate degree as
the first step toward advanced degrees.
5. Nurses from minority groups to enhance their career options by acquiring
additional competencies needed to meet the increasingly complex demands of
contemporary professional nursing practice.
6. Preparing more culturally diverse nurses at the baccalaureate level.
II. ADVANTAGES OF MDC OFFERING A BSN DEGREE PROGRAM
 MDC serves a large percentage of minority students as illustrated in Tables 1 and 2
below. Therefore, a BSN program will enable MDC to provide access and increase the
number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses from minority groups.
Table 1: Associate Degrees Awarded Nationally to Hispanics (2004-2005)
College
Number of Hispanic Graduates
Miami Dade College (FL)
4,073
El Paso Community College (TX)
1,443
South Texas Community College (TX)
1,035
East Los Angeles College (CA)
873
Laredo Community College (TX)
754
Source: IPEDS data in the MDC Fact Book (2006)
Table 2: Associate Degrees Awarded Nationally to African-Americans (2004-2005)
College
Number of AfricanAmerican Graduates
Miami Dade College (FL)
1,220
American Intercontinental University (On-line)
884
Broward Community College (FL)
779
CUNY-Borough Manhattan Community College (NY)
777
Central Texas College (TX)
707
Source: IPEDS data in MDC Fact Book (2006)
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
MDC has demonstrated success in penetrating the minority population at its Medical
Center Campus, and particularly serving the African-American population as compared
with the general population of the county. Please see Table 3:
Table 3: Comparison of Miami-Dade County and Medical Center Campus
Fall 2005 Credit Student Demographics
Ethnicity/Race
MCC
MCC
Miami-Dade
Number
Percent
County
Percent
Hispanic
989
54.3
60.1
African American (Non-Hispanic)
502
27.6
18.8
White (Non-Hispanic)
267
14.7
19.0
Other
64
3.4
2.1
Total
1822
100.0
100.0
Gender
MCC
MCC
Miami-Dade
Number
Percent
County
Percent
Female
1100
60.4
51.6
Male
722
39.6
48.4
Total
1822
100.0
100.0

MDC is able to deliver more extensive student services than research-intensive and
extensive institutions and has demonstrated success in serving academically underprepared students. Please see Table 4.
Table 4: Medical Center Campus Fall 2005 Student Snapshot
Characteristic
Needed college preparatory coursework in reading, writing,
algebra, or some combination of these at entry to MDC
First generation college-bound students
Students who spend 6 or more hours commuting to and from
classes each week
Students who speak a language other than English at home (37%
Spanish, 9% Creole, 4% other)
Students working full time or part-time
Students caring for dependents
Students classified as low income
Percent
45%
53%
51%
50%
75%
68%
45%
Source: Miami Dade College Office of Institutional Research
Source: MDC Fall Profile (2005)

MDC can deliver the BSN degree program more cost effectively because of its lower
tuition rates (please see Table 5). Considering that 45% of the students served by MDC
are classified as low income and 65% of MDC students are the recipients of some type of
financial aid, development of the BSN program at MDC will provide a unique opportunity
for students from low-income families and underrepresented groups (who otherwise
cannot afford to go to four-year institutions) to earn BSN degrees.
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Table 5: Comparison of Tuition Costs at South Florida Colleges & Universities 2006-2007
Institution
Estimated RN-BSN In-State Tuition Cost
( Cost per credit hour/semester)
Florida International University
$ 104.33
Florida Atlantic University
$ 108.64
Barry University
$ 705.00
(RNs receive a 30% discount)
(based on 18 credits/semester)
Nova Southeastern University
$ 420.00
University of Miami
$1,280.00
(Based on enrollment of 20 credits
for Fall or Spring)
Miami Dade College
$ 62.36
Source: Corresponding Institution Web Sites

MDC will provide additional access for over-subscribed BSN degree programs. In
2005, the Florida Center for Nursing reported that nearly sixty percent (59.92%) of the
individuals who applied to nursing baccalaureate degree programs in Southeast Florida
were not admitted due to the lack of capacity to accommodate applicants at 4-year
institutions. Please see Table 6. Results of recent surveys indicate that 81% of current
MDC students and 59% of alumni selected MDC as their preferred institution for pursuing
a BSN degree. Therefore, MDC has a captive audience and is poised to serve its alumni
who are ready to continue at the same institution where they successfully earned their
ASN, using an affordable and efficient, career-ladder approach.
Table 6: Number of Qualified Nursing Applicants Compared to Number of Nursing
Students Admitted/Denied in the State of Florida for 2004 (Florida Center for Nursing, 2005)
Region
Northwest
North
East
Central
West
Central
Southwest
Southeast
Statewide
ASN
Qualified
Applicants
Students
Admitted
869
170
720
253
1424
663
698
422
748
456
2138
716
6597
2680
4
Students
Denied
due to
Capacity
529
(60.87%)
467
(64.86%)
761
(53.44%)
276
(39.54%)
292
(39.03%)
1422
(66.51%)
3917
(59.37%)
BSN
Qualified
Applicants
Students
Admitted
361
157
1004
260
368
173
517
360
125
87
1310
525
3685
1359
Students
Denied
due to
Capacity
204
(56.5%)
744
(74.1%)
195
(52.9%)
157
(30.36%)
38 (30.4%)
785
(59.92%)
2326
(63.12%)

MDC has been successful with baccalaureate programs. For example, the Bachelor
of Applied Science-Public Safety Management program, implemented by MDC in August
2006, has an initial enrollment of 80 students, a 29.4% enrollment increase over the initial
projection of 68 students. It is anticipated that due to the nursing shortage and highdemand for nurses, initial enrollment projections for the BSN program will also be
surpassed.

Current MDC students as well as alumni have expressed the highest level of
interest and preference for the BSN degree program at MDC. In addition, the healthcare
industry and other external constituencies have pledged strong support as illustrated by
the following:
o
o
o
o

Nearly eighty-one percent (81%) of MDC enrolled nursing students surveyed in
2006 indicated they would enroll in a RN-BSN degree program if offered at
MDC.
Fifty-nine percent (59%) alumni respondents surveyed in 2006 ranked MDC as
their first choice of schools to pursue and earn the RN-BSN degree.
The MDC School of Nursing Advisory Committee, which consists of hospital
leaders, MDC alumni, and MDC faculty and administrators, approved the
development of the proposed RN-BSN degree program on April 13, 2006.
MDC has received strong support and encouragement from local healthcare
agencies regarding the implementation of the proposed RN-BSN degree.
MDC serves a unique and diverse student body. MDC’s experience and expertise in
the education of nursing students from low income and under-represented groups makes
it the ideal institution to offer the BSN degree in order to prepare them for advanced
career opportunities, including middle management and supervisory positions.
llI. THE NEED AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF THE MDC BSN DEGREE PROGRAM
The proposed Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at MDC is designed to address the
following:
1. The need for BSN-prepared nurses. The American Organization of Nurse
Executives (AONE) supports the BSN as the entry level into practice, based on
research conducted and published by Dr. Linda Aiken (an endowed leadership
professor at the University of Pennsylvania). As a result, Marilyn Bowcutt, president
of AONE, has challenged Nurse Executives to encourage associate degree graduates
to complete BSN degrees and has challenged leaders to encourage more colleges to
increase capacity for nursing baccalaureate degree programs. The need for BSNprepared nurses is further supported by the following:
 AONE has stated that a baccalaureate degree is necessary to prepare future
nurses for increasingly complex and challenging patient care. This statement is
supported by multiple studies that demonstrate that patient mortality and risk of
death was decreased by a higher proportion of BSN nurses in the workforce.
 The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice and the US
Secretary for Health and Human Services indicated that by 2010, 66% of the
nursing workforce would need to be prepared at the BSN level. Currently, only
26% of Florida’s nursing workforce is BSN-prepared.
 Several major employers, including the United States Public Health Service
and the United States Armed Services, require the BSN or higher degree for
all levels of nurses. The Veterans Administration requires the BSN for
promotion.
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
The RN-BSN is the first step for upward mobility within the nursing profession
and can help to decrease the nursing faculty shortage, considering the
following:
a. Approximately 50% of nurses will leave the workforce to retire in the
next 10 years.
b. The average age of nursing faculty in Florida is 56 years of age (51
nationally). It is estimated that 50% of nursing faculty will retire by
2010, compounding the problem of not only recruiting people to
nursing, but having enough teachers.
2. Enhancement of patient outcomes. Dr. Linda Aiken’s research has identified
linkages between higher levels of nursing education and positive patient outcomes.
Her research indicates that surgical patients have a “substantial survival advantage” if
treated in hospitals with a higher proportion of baccalaureate prepared nurses. By
increasing the proportion of nurses holding BSN degrees by 10%, there was a
decrease in the risk of patient death and failure to rescue by 5%.
3.
Diversity and inclusiveness in the nursing profession. There is great concern at
the Federal, State, and local levels about the shortage of RNs from underrepresented
minority groups. Although 81% of Miami-Dade County’s population consists of racial
and ethnic minorities, only 18% of RNs come from minority groups. It is anticipated
that the proposed RN-BSN program will provide health care agencies with a diverse
pool of nurses prepared to meet the needs of the ethnically and racially diverse South
Florida communities.
4. Easing of the Nursing Shortage in South Florida. In the state of Florida, BSN
prepared nurses (according to the Nurse Practice Act) can teach at the ASN level as
adjunct faculty. Increasing the supply of BSN nurses will increase the number of
additional nursing faculty at the ASN level, thereby reducing the faculty shortage.
BSN-prepared nurses who begin in adjunct faculty positions may become interested in
pursuing a career in nursing education and may go on to earn Master’s and Doctorate
degrees at other institutions.
IV. QUALITY ASSURANCE: Quality assurance for the BSN degree program would be
achieved through the following:




SACS Accreditation Standards. Miami Dade College is fully accredited by the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) as a Level 2 institution and is authorized to
offer baccalaureate and associate degrees. Therefore, the proposed program will be
operated under SACS standards.
NLNAC Accreditation. The ASN degree program at MDC is full accredited by the
National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). MDC will seek NLNAC
accreditation for the BSN degree program.
State Board Standards. The program will seek Florida State Board of Nursing approval.
Institutional Review. The program will be included in Miami Dade College’s Five-Year
Program Review process.
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