Nursing enrollment up at Salisbury University

SALISBURY, MD ------Nursing enrollment is up 30 percent at Salisbury University this fall, especially heartening news in view of recent reports of a nationwide shortage of nurses, according to SU new Nursing Department chair, Dr. Susan Battistoni.

"The quality of the nursing program remains high as well," said Battistoni, "as evidenced by our recent 100 percent pass rate by SU family nurse practitioner students on their national certification examination." The national average pass rate for the exam is 89 percent.

Enrollment in nursing courses has grown from 61 last fall to 93 for the semester which begins September 3. Nursing at SU is an upper-division program where the students start taking their nursing courses in the fall semester of their junior year.

Battistoni is replacing Dr. Lisa Seldomridge who was the Nursing Department chair for the past six years. Seldomridge is returning to the nursing faculty. Additionally, Dr. Karen Badros takes over as chair of the Nursing Graduate Program, succeeding Dr. Ruth Carroll, chair for the last three years. Dr. Catherine Walsh continues as associate chair.

The Nursing Department is adding a pair of new full-time faculty. Dr. Mary B. DeLashmutt, assistant professor of nursing, is a certified registered nurse midwife. A former member of the nursing faculties of the University of Virginia and Shehperd (WV) College, DeLashmutt will be teaching Nursing Care of Childbearing and Childbearing Families and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing. She received her B.A. in nursing from the University of Virginia, her M.S. in nursing from Columbia University, her M.A. in moral theology from Mount Saint Mary's Seminary and her Ph.D. in nursing administration from George Mason University.

Also new this fall is Michele Bracken, instructor of nursing and a certified registered nurse practitioner. Bracken, who earned her B.S. and M.S. in nursing from SU, will be teaching Nursing Care of Children and Adolescents and Maternal Newborn Nursing.

Due to the increased enrollment, nine part-time clinical faculty have been added: Nancy Flurer, M.S., R.N.; Joann Lewis, B.S.N., R.N.; Brenda Ronk, M.S., R.N.; Tess Iten, M.S., R.N.; Valerie DuBosq, B.S.N., R.N.; Annette Hall-Barnes, M.S., R.N.; Tracy Palmer, M.Ed., R.N.; Tammy Hurley, B.S.N., R.N.; and Wynne Aroon, M.S., R.N.