Points of Pride

Strategic Growth

Nurses have been moved to the forefront of our healthcare system, and nationwide shortages have created the need to educate more nurses. MCN recognizes the need to grow, and in 2021, the ISU Board of Trustees approved MCN’s strategic growth model aimed at adding 100 students to Mennonite’s enrollment each year, with the goal of reaching 1,200 students by June 2025. Despite this growth, MCN prides itself on embracing the rich traditions and quality nursing education for which it has become known over the past century. And that will not change.

Student Success

Mennonite College of Nursing has faculty and staff fiercely dedicated to the success of its students. MCN prelicensure graduates consistently achieve a high NCLEX pass rate—about 95-96% year after year, beating the state and national averages, which were 82% in 2021.

Outstanding Faculty and Teaching Excellence

MCN faculty are staunchly committed to the quality education of their nursing students, preparing exceptional nurses who provide compassionate care to their patients. Faculty are experienced nurses, leaders, researchers, and educators recognized at the college and university levels for their teaching expertise. Faculty provide strong, personalized support to their students and maintain a faculty-student ratio of 1:8 at clinical sites.

Groundbreaking Research

Nurse researchers from MCN are nationally and internationally recognized for their research and scholarship. Faculty partner with undergraduate and graduate students on evidence-based practice and research projects. Students and faculty publish together and present their work locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Among MCN’s outstanding researchers:

• Dr. Marilyn Prasun is the Carle BroMenn Endowed Professor at MCN. In 2021, she was awarded over $500,000 by Abbott, Inc. to conduct the first clinical trial in Illinois State University’s history for her study, “Establishing the Reliability and Validity of the New York Heart Association Classification Guide to Assign Class for Patients with Heart Failure and Application into Practice.” Dr. Prasun was also named a 2021 Researcher to Know by the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC), which highlights researchers who have made significant advances in their field.
• Dr. John Blakeman is collaborating with researchers from across the nation to examine the symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). He is currently launching two grant-funded studies: one focused on the ACS symptom knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of Spanish-speaking and Latinx adults and the other on ACS symptom assessment and triage assessment practices of emergency department nurses.
• Dr. Susana Calderon is the recipient of the 2021 ISU Research Initiative Award. She is a biobehavioral nurse scientist specializing in children’s oral health research, specifically using early behavior intervention to reduce the risk for dental caries and obesity. Dr. Calderon was selected for the 2020-2021 American Association for Dental Research’s Mentoring an Inclusive Network for a Diverse Workforce of the Future training network.
• Dr. Michele Shropshire was selected as a 2021 Illinois Board of Higher Education Nurse Fellow. She has published several articles on pain, informal caregivers’ coping with mandated “no visitors” policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, senior reminiscence in assisted living facilities, and nursing students’ responses to clinical experiences with older adults.

Grants

Mennonite College of Nursing is solidly committed to improving patient outcomes through education and innovation. Utilizing funding provided through state and federal grants, MCN achieves this through these programs:

• Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW)
  To improve access to care and quality of care in more remote areas of the United States, this U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources – Health Resources & Service Administration (HRSA) supported initiative prepared Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) students to practice in rural and under-served settings following graduation.
• America’s Promise
  America’s Promise partners with local schools to provide improved access to care for children. In 2017, the America’s Promise Schools Project received an Innovation in Nursing Education award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
• Change Agents for the Underserved: Service Education (CAUSE)
  Working in partnership with McLean County Health Department and local outpatient facilities, we seek to prevent hospital readmission by coordinating care for chronic illness, mental health, and more.
• Pre-Entry & Retention Opportunities for Undergraduate Diversity (PROUD)
  Begun as part of a HRSA grant, PROUD is an organization that seeks to promote diversity in the nursing profession by recruiting and graduating students from disadvantaged backgrounds.