Holman Named Southern Miss RN-BSN Program Coordinator

Mon, 02/03/2020 - 04:17pm | By: Dr. Tara Burcham

For 53 years, The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has been training highly skilled nurses to meet the healthcare needs of Mississippi and the nation.

Recognized in the top 50 programs across the nation, the RN-BSN program for the working RN professional has been critical to that accomplishment. Dr. Elizabeth Holman plans to continue this success in her role as new coordinator for the RN-BSN program.

Holman, who has been at the university since 2004, has a range of experiences in nursing, both academic and professional. At Southern Miss, Holman has served as Assistant Teaching Professor, BSN Program Coordinator and Assistant Clinical Professor at the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus. Prior to coming to Southern Miss, Holman was an Assistant Professor at Northwestern State University in Shreveport, Louisiana.

An experienced nurse, Holman also brings a diverse professional background to the coordinator position, having served as a staff nurse in varied units including step down, post-anesthesia care, cardiac observation, long-term acute care, medical-surgical, and infectious disease/surgical unit in hospitals in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Holman has also served as director of patient care services (Medical Intensive Care, Surgical Intensive Care, and Telemetry Units) at Slidell Memorial Hospital in Slidell, Louisiana.

As the new coordinator of the RN-BSN program, Holman has plans to continue growing the program while maintaining the highest academic standards.

“We are working towards the goal of having the RN-BSN program certified by Quality Matters,” said Holman. “This certification exemplifies to our students that faculty are focused on giving students the best education available.”

Dr. Amy Chasteen, Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, notes that Holman’s direction for the RN-BSN program is one that further supports the university’s goals of high-quality online education that meets the needs of students.

“Through partnership with nationally-recognized, global organizations such as Quality Matters, we demonstrate our strong commitment to best practices in online education,” says Chasteen. “With the strong demand for BSN nurses in Mississippi and nationally, Chasteen notes that “the RN-BSN program will fulfill a vital need for nursing professionals in Mississippi and beyond.”

Holman says the Southern Miss RN-BSN program is special because it focuses on student success and is designed to meet the needs of the working nurse.

“We know today’s nurses are busy. That is why our online Nursing RN to BSN degree can be completed in as few as three semesters,” states Holman. In addition, all courses and all course prerequisites are available fully online, while also boasting a number of scholarship opportunities for online students.

Holman emphasizes the RN-BSN program puts students first. “We are flexible with students to make the program workable for the full-time learner and full-time worker,” says Holman. She notes that faculty understand students have lives outside of school, and faculty are committed to helping students along the way.

“Communication is the key to success in the program and within the short time frame of 12 months, the student will have learned new skills while being able to add the credential of BSN behind their name,” she said.

For information about the fully online RN-BSN program at Southern Miss, visit https://online.usm.edu/undergrad/online-nursing-rn-to-bsn-degree/.