Oklahoma State University is helping grow the next generation of nurses by offering a new RN to BSN program.
Mary Malaska is the new director of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) online degree program at Oklahoma State University, where she also serves as an assistant professor on the Stillwater campus.
The new RN to BSN program offers registered nurses who have completed an accredited associate’s degree or diploma program the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degree in nursing to enrich and expand their careers.
Malaska, who holds a doctorate in nursing practice from Duquesne University, received her associate’s degree in nursing from OSU-OKC in 1978 and is a certified nurse instructor.
She was named Nurse of the Year in 2011 at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center, where she provided care to new mothers, infants and female surgical patients as a staff nurse from 1997-2016.
Malaska has served in several positions at the OSU-OKC campus, including associate professor and division head of health sciences. She was also the team leader of the Nursing Care of Vulnerable Populations teaching team, which assisted nursing students and provided clinical supervision. She received the Dean Stringer Excellence in Teaching Award from OSU-OKC in 2007.
Malaska earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 1993, and a Master of Science in Nursing Education from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 1996.
Offered in the College of Education, Health & Aviation, the online program is designed for individuals who have obtained Registered Nurse licensure and have successfully completed either an accredited associate’s degree or diploma program.
The BSN at OSU-Stillwater delivers coursework 100 percent online over three successive semesters and is designed for working adult learners. Each student will have an advisor who provides system guidance, support with online activities, and serves as a mentor while navigating the online degree process.
The OSU RN to BSN program concept is unique because of the health and wellness concentration of the degree. The College of Education, Health & Aviation includes a strong health focus with programs in health education and promotion, applied exercise science, recreational therapy, physical education, and counseling and counseling psychology.
The program plans to seek accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
With a national focus on the need to prepare more registered nurses with advanced education, OSU and the College of Education, Health & Aviation welcome the opportunity to provide a quality program that will produce leaders in clinical nursing practice.
“The new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program meets an expressed need for the state’s health care community and it expands the emphasis on health that is present in the College of Education, Health & Aviation. We are excited to offer a high-quality program that will produce more nurses with advanced education for Oklahoma, the region and the U.S.,” says College of Education, Health & Aviation Dean John Romans.
