Contact: Public Relations
(863) 680-4118

FSC nursing master's degree program 
opens with 15 students
Fourteen in the first class are FSC alumni

LAKELAND, Fla. (Sept. 27, 2004) - Florida Southern College begins the first semester of its master of science in nursing program. Fifteen students are enrolled, 14 of whom are FSC graduates. 

The following students, all registered nurses, are participating in this new program. 
L. Carol Boyington '94, Lakeland, Fla. Joni Lewis '83, Lakeland, Fla.
Robbin Chapman, Kissimmee, Fla. Carrie Clay Ogilvie '96, Lakeland, Fla.
V. Ruth Clifford '98, Winter Haven, Fla. Virginia Smith '03, Lakeland, Fla.
Linda Gebbia '04, Longwood, Fla. Kay Spears '01, Lakeland, Fla.
Colleen Cheslock Houlahan '84, Orlando, Fla. Wanda Stanek '02, Clermont, Fla.
Kathy Hunt '00, Lakeland, Fla. Jeri Thomas '98, Lakeland, Fla.
Terri Jones '99, San Antonio, Fla. Doris Thornhill '94, W. Melbourne, Fla.
Eyvonne West '83, Lakeland, Fla.

The MS in nursing will prepare the nurses in the role of the clinical nurse specialist. The CNS is an expert in program development and outcome assessment and has the skills to work in acute care settings, community health settings, and higher education. "This means," says Dr. Mavra Kear, associate professor of nursing and the graduate program coordinator, "that FSC will be 
instrumental in addressing the nation's critical need for graduate-prepared nurses to reduce the nursing faculty shortage and mentor new nurses in practice." 

For more information on the nursing master's program, please contact Kear at 680-4310 or mkear@flsouthern.edu.  


About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 24 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors. Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.

###