2021 NSU Fact Book

84 NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY in the United States. This post-master’s, SLP.D. degree program fosters the development of knowledge, leadership, and problem-solving skills through curricula that incorporate research, ethical decision making, and models of best practice. Students are generally individuals with master’s degrees in speech- language pathology and ASHA certification who wish to obtain an advanced doctoral degree. The SLP.D. program is a hybrid (face-to-face/online) program that represents an innovative, practical, and realistic approach to doctoral studies. The SLP.D. program’s degree requirement is a total 53 semester credit hours. COMMUNITY OUTREACH The UM-NSU Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD) is one of seven university-based regional centers providing services to individuals with autism and their families. The NSU CARD Center serves constituents in Broward County. The NSU CARD Center is in its 16th year of continuous grant funding throughout Florida. In 2015, NSU CARD served 3,618 constituents in Broward County and offered 54 educational workshops, 32 webinars, and pro- vided 25 public education events to more than 26,000 participants. Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing With more than 4.1 million registered nurses nation- wide, nursing continues to be the largest health care profession in the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for registered nurses (R.N.s) is expected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to 2022, and nursing is currently the top growth occupation in the country. Most health care services involve some form of care by R.N.s. Although 60 percent of all employed R.N.s work in hospitals, many are employed in a wide range of other settings, including private practices, public health agencies, primary care clinics, home health care, outpatient surgical centers, health maintenance organizations, nursing-school operated nursing centers, insurance and managed care companies, nursing homes, schools, mental health agencies, hospices, the military, and industry. The trend for nurses in outpatient care centers is expected to grow. Other nurses work in careers as college and university educators preparing future nurses, or as scientists developing advances in many areas of health care and health promotion. The mission of NSU’s Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing is to provide quality undergraduate and graduate nursing education within an atmosphere of scholarly inquiry, professional values, interprofes- sional collaboration, and community service. The college will prepare culturally sensitive and competent nursing leaders who have knowledge and skills based on integrity, creativity, courage, stewardship, and compassion and that are relevant, futuristic, and responsive to the rapidly changing health care trends and environments. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree is the critical first step for a career in professional nursing. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and other leading nursing organizations recognize the B.S.N. degree as the minimum educational requirement for professional nursing practice. While graduates can begin practice as an R.N. with an associate’s degree or hospital diploma, the B.S.N. degree is essential for nurses seeking to perform at the case-manager or super- visory level or to move across employment settings. The B.S.N. nurse is prepared to practice in all health care settings—critical care, ambulatory care, public health, and mental health—and thus has the greatest employment flexibility of any entry-level R.N. The B.S.N. curriculum includes a broad spectrum of scientific, critical thinking, humanistic, communi- cation, and leadership skills, including specific courses on community health nursing not typically included in diploma or associate’s degree tracks. These abilities are essential for today’s professional nurse who must be a skilled provider, designer, manager, and coordinator of care. Colleges and Academic Centers