D.  The history of College of Nursing at South Dakota State University

In 1935, a department of nursing was established under the Division of Pharmacy with Miss Leila Given as director. The first degree was granted to Mrs. Rachel Hasle in 1936.  During the following years, under the leadership of Martha Krause (1939-1943), and later R. Esther Erickson (1943-1954), the program broadened but continued to be a five-year program with Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls furnishing the clinical experiences.

The four-year program was inaugurated in 1952. By that time the faculty had increased to three persons: R. Esther Erickson, Inez Hinsvark, and Doris Mae Coles.  Sioux Valley Hospital remained the clinical experience center, but the experience was jointly controlled by South Dakota State College and Augustana College, which also had a baccalaureate nursing program.  Public Health was added to the curriculum in 1954.  Also that year, Rural Nursing was added, under the direction of Miss Hazel Hubbs.  Nineteen fifty-four was another banner year as Eliza Turner came as director of the program, and many clinical instructors were added.  In 1955, Mrs. Helen Gilkey was appointed director.  The Sioux Valley Hospital contracts were terminated and new areas were developed at Watertown, Madison, and Rapid City in South Dakota and at the Charles T. Miller Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota.  In 1956 the Department of Nursing became the Division of Nursing with Mrs. Helen Gilkey as the first dean; the first class of four-year students graduated, and the Federal Nurse Traineeship Program was inaugurated.  In 1957 the Division of Nursing moved to remodeled quarters in Solberg Hall.  In December 1957 Inez Hinsvark became the dean and more faculty members were added.

National accreditation was granted by the National League for Nursing (NLNAC) in May 1960. This accreditation has been continuously maintained according to high standards of quality education established by the National League for Nursing.  In 2001, Accreditation was changed from NLNAC to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CCNE is a separate division of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) which accredits only baccalaureate and masters programs.  The first CCNE accreditation was granted from 2001 through 2011.

In 1964 South Dakota State College became South Dakota State University, and the Department of Nursing became the College of Nursing.  The Department of Nursing was established in 1965 with Genevieve Johnson as department head.  The Department of Continuing Education was established in 1966 with Joy Nelson as department head.  The Department of Health Science was established in 1965 with Charles Blazey as department head.  In August 1969 the College of Nursing moved to the new Home Economics-Nursing Building, funded in part by the Federal Division of Nursing.  In 1967, Berniece Wittkopf became acting dean, functioning in that capacity until 1968 when Dr. Genevieve Johnson became dean.

By 1966 clinical facilities were concentrated in the Brookings area and in Minneapolis and St. Paul.  Students spent three years on campus and in surrounding health care facilities and a full year in the Twin Cities, where medical-surgical, pediatric, obstetric, and psychiatric nursing were taught.  Major clinical agencies were: St. Luke’s Hospital, St. Paul; Children’s Hospital, St. Paul; St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Paul; St. Mary’s Hospital, Minneapolis; St. John’s Hospital, St. Paul; Metropolitan Medical Center, Minneapolis; and Golden Valley Health Center, Minneapolis.  From 1973 to 1977 the East Campus, as it was called, was headquartered at Metropolitan Medical Center in Minneapolis with Agnes Dempster serving as associate department head for that unit.

In1977 all clinical aspects of the program were returned to South Dakota.  In 1977 the South Dakota Board of Regents approved a plan for a master of science program at SDSU.  The Board of Regents also approved a plan for the College of Nursing to offer its major at an extended off-campus site--West River Area--so that RNs in that area of the state could earn their B. S. degrees in nursing.  In October 1977 Dr. Carol Jean Peterson became dean.

During the 1978-1979 year, the West River RN Upward Mobility Program was launched.  A large number of registered nurses have been served by this off-campus offering of the nursing major in both West River and Aberdeen.  Sydney Ayotte served as West River Coordinator, and Donna Ritter was on-campus RN Upward Mobility Coordinator.  In 1979 the College of Nursing received a federal Division of Nursing grant  to develop and implement the master’s program.  In 1980 the graduate program in nursing became fully available.  Effective January 1, 1982, it was moved to state funding provided by the legislature.  Dr. Evelyn Peterson served as coordinator of the graduate nursing program.  The Adult Health major included options for Clinical Specialists, Nurse Practitioners, Educators and Managers.  A Federal Division of Nursing grant enabled the Parent-Child Health track to be developed, in addition to another grant which funded the initiation of a Gerontology emphasis.

The Department of Nursing, with the aid of closed-circuit television, teaching machines, two-way radios and other modern teaching aids, expanded to include an increasing number of students. The major clinical facilities now were: Brookings Hospital; Brookings Clinic; Brookview Manor Nursing Home; Crippled Children’s Hospital, Sioux Falls; health agencies sponsored by the South Dakota Department of Health and health departments in Brookings, Moody, Lake, Codington, Hamlin and Deuel Counties; Memorial Medical Center, Watertown; St. Ann’s Hospital, Watertown; Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls; South Dakota Human Services Center, Yankton; and Veteran’s Administration Center, Sioux Falls.  A variety of agencies in Aberdeen and West River were used for the RN Upward Mobility Program.  Susan Hardin served as Head of the Department of Nursing.

The Department of Health Science offered a major, as well as a minor for about 600 students annually who wanted training in administration, food, sanitation and environmental health.  Dr. Charles Blazey served as head of this department.

The Department of Continuing Education took the campus to the people, making  available workshops and seminars for nurses, nursing home administrators and other medical support personnel.  From January 1978 until June 1982, Dr. Marge Hegge served as the Coordinator of Continuing Education.  From July 1982 through May 1998, Ms. Alice Gehrke served in this position.

From February 1987 to September 1988, Dr. Marge Hegge served as the Acting Dean of the College of Nursing.  Dr. Carmen Westwick became Dean in September 1988 when the College was undergoing restructuring to better meet the needs of the region.  The Health Science major was discontinued and the Health Science Department was phased out.  The Health Science minor and the support courses were maintained with the Department of Undergraduate Nursing, headed by Dr. Timothy Gaspar.  The Continuing Education Department was subsumed under a new Department of Research and Special Services, headed by Dr. William McBreen.  A third department, Advanced Studies, headed by Dr. Marge Hegge, became the academic center for the master’s program and the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner baccalaureate level certificate program. 

Dr. Mary Adams becoming Acting Dean in the fall of 1990.  The West River Unit was moved to its own facilities in Rapid City in 1990 when the Generic Baccalaureate Program was initiated.  A West River Director, Sydney Ayotte, was named to coordinate the baccalaureate, RN Upward Mobility and graduate programs in Rapid City.  During the early 1990s, the RN Upward Mobility Program was offered in Brookings, Aberdeen, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Pierre and Huron.  The graduate program was delivered in Brookings with part-time cycles in Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Sioux City, Iowa.  A Federal Division of Nursing grant funded a one-time cycle of RN Upward Mobility education to nurses on the Pine Ridge/Rosebud Reservation.  A subsequent Division of Nursing grant funded a one-time cycle of the Family Nurse Practitioner master’s program for nurses on the Pine Ridge/Rosebud Reservation. 

Dr. Roberta Olson became Dean of the College of Nursing in January of 1994.  The director of the West River Campus become a department head.  The Department of Advanced Studies was changed to the Department of Graduate Nursing.  Dr. Penny Powers became the Department Head for West River Nursing in 1994.

The RN-to-MS track was initiated in Fall 1997.  All support courses (72 credits) are completed prior to the three semesters, 20 nursing credits to earn the B.S. in Nursing.  Transfers and validation are completed at SDSU.  Four students at the Rapid City site were the first students in the RN-to-MS track in Fall 1997.

A Division of Nursing grant was received in July 1997 for a one-time funded cycle to deliver the M.S. in Nursing program to Pierre.  The course work for the nurse educator role option was the focus of the grant.  In January 1998, 13 students started the MS in Nursing program in Pierre.  The funding supports the faculty to travel to Pierre to teach the classes.  The students commute to Pierre from the central portion of South Dakota.

During the early 1990s, the majority of graduate students were enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner role option.  An average of 30 nurse practitioner graduates complete each year.  Dr. Bill McBreen served as Acting Department Head, Advanced Studies, from July 1994 through December 1995.  In January 1995 this department’s name was changed to Graduate Nursing.  The Graduate Nursing Department Head position was filled in January 1996 by Dr. Barbara Heater until July 1997. In February 1999 Dr. Penny Powers accepted the position of Graduate Nursing Department Head.  Dr. Sandra Bunkers was appointed to the position in August of 2005.   In 2006 Pat Hallman assumed the Academic Advisor role for undergraduate and graduate students.

Dr. Judith Vinson served as Department Head for Undergraduate Programs from January 1997 through December 2001.  Dr. Janet Lord became Department Head in January 2003. 

Ms. Deborah Banik served as Department Head, Nursing Student Services, from August 1998 through July 1999. Dr. Gloria Craig was appointed Department Head of Nursing Student Services in May 2000 and served until December 2006.  Dr. Linda Kropenske assumed the Acting Department Head in Nursing Student Services in January 2007.

Dr. Deborah Wittig assumed the position of Coordinator, Continuing Nursing Education in July 1998.  Research Coordinator and program evaluation responsibilities were added to CNE Coordinator position beginning April 1, 1999.  The new title for this position became Coordinator, Research and Continuing Nursing Education.  CE came under Department Head Dr. Gloria Craig. 

Dr. Kay Foland was appointed Department Head, West River Nursing, in May 1999 and served until 2002 when Dr. Barbara Hobbs was appointed as the Department Head for West River Nursing.  

Planning for expansion of the R.N. Upward Mobility program began in 1998. Starting in Fall 2000, the entire R.N. Upward Mobility program became available via web-based Internet.   Partnership discussions began in 1999 with Good Samaritan Society to deliver RN Upward Mobility to their RNs who want to complete requirements for their BS in Nursing.  When this program is implemented, there is the potential to serve RNs with associate degrees or diplomas in nursing throughout the Good Samaritan Society System.  By 2007, several RNs from the Good Samaritan Society System have enrolled and graduated from RNUM through this partnership agreement.

In July 1997 the college received a three-year $384,000 Division of Nursing grant to provide faculty support to deliver the graduate program to a cohort of students in Pierre.  The outcome of this training grant has been to educate eight nurses into the advanced practice role in the central portion of South Dakota.  A grant from the Kellogg Foundation for $90,7000 provided tuition and book monies plus monthly stipends to the eight students so that they could decrease the amount of time they needed to work during the program and could concentrate on studying.  These eight graduates, plus the 10 who have completed the program through the grant to Martin, SD area from 1994-1997 provide 18 advanced practice nurses in geographically underserved sections of South Dakota.  They are also available to serve as preceptors to current and future graduate students.

In September, 2000 the college received a three-year $615,000 Division of Nursing grant to support students and provide faculty availability to Native American and Rural Nurses who want to complete baccalaureate education in nursing. 

The College of Nursing expanded its BS enrollment in 2003 to respond to a growing nursing shortage in the state and region.  In 2002, the College launched an Accelerated Baccalaureate Program for second degree students.  This program, located in Sioux Falls condenses the 5 semesters of nursing into 12 months of intense classroom and clinical instruction qualifying graduates to take NCLEX for RN licensure.  All pre-requisites must be completed before admission.  Thirty-two students were admitted each year until 2006 when enrollment increased to 48 including some honors students from the traditional program.

In 2002 the College implemented Laptop requirements for all students.  Experimentation  with PDAs is also happening in selected clinical sections.  A new curriculum was implemented in January 2006 Rapid City and 2006 Brookings campus implemented implementing new curriculum in fall 2007.

The PhD Program was implemented in the fall of 2005 as an  Executive weekend delivery model.  Thirteen MS prepared nurses were admitted to the first cohort.  A new cohort will begin in fall 2007.  The program is designed for every other year admission.

Planning has begun for a new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program with the first class entering in fall, 2008.  This is in response to national certification requirements for Advanced Practice Nurses.  By 2015 a DNP degree will be required for national certification as nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists.  A new cohort of 20 students will be admitted every year.

Due to the small percent of Native American nurses in South Dakota and the growing population of Native Americans needing nursing care, the College has embarked on a multi-year initiative to increase the pipeline of Native American students who complete high school and enroll in science courses to prepare for the nursing major.  This Wokunze Project provides scholarship support and mentoring to qualified Native American students.  Six Native American students have graduated with BS degrees in nursing and 14 more are enrolled in the nursing major through this project.

South Dakota State University’s College of Nursing continued to grow and improve. It has made a vast impact on health care in South Dakota.  Over thirteen hundred graduates reside in the state.  Approximately 60% of the graduates remain in the state to work.  Over one thousand baccalaureate nursing students and over 150 graduate nursing students are currently enrolled.  Over 70 qualified nursing faculty members provide state-of-the-art nursing education.

February, 2008