Assistant or Associate Professor of Nursing

BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY (BSU) invites applicants to join our team as an Assistant or Associate Professor of Nursing. BSU’s vision is to educate people to lead inspired lives. To accomplish BSU’s vision, the University prioritizes creating a culture in which diversity is embraced and all people are safe, welcome, and validated.  Centered between the three largest Tribal nations in Minnesota – Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth – BSU also prioritizes increasing engagement with American Indian communities to become a destination university.

Enrolling more than 5,000 students, BSU offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. BSU’s Shared Fundamental Values include civic engagement and leadership, international and multicultural understanding, belief in the power of the liberal arts, and environmental stewardship. BSU is located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota and occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji.  BSU balances rigorous academia with the opportunity to enjoy a fun, robust, outdoor culture.  The proximity to the lake and the surrounding north woods allows easy access to an assortment of recreation.

BSU's Nursing Program is an established and fully accredited nursing program with a 30-year history of providing baccalaureate-educated nurses to the region. The Program’s mission is to engage in scholarship that supports the development of critical thinkers, creative problem solvers and innovative leaders in care delivery; to teach and support professionalism and professional values in the care of individuals and populations across diverse cultures, ages and environments; and to educate the baccalaureate nurse generalist for a future that includes lifelong learning and professional practice. The Program is focused on mentoring students on their educational journeys and through their career planning processes, providing the support and resources necessary for students to achieve their goals. 

BSU’s Nursing Program offers two tracks to complete the baccalaureate degree — a four-year track for students just beginning their education and a two-year track for students who are licensed Registered Nurses with an associate degree or diploma.  The focus of the Program is to give students broad, practical experiences along with the deep, technical education required of a nurse. The Program applies a student-centered approach that mentors students throughout their educational journeys.  With its proximity to the region’s American Indian population, BSU has a unique opportunity to develop nurses with cultural awareness. The Program includes cultural-care coursework aimed at producing practitioners attuned to a variety of patients and their diverse needs.

The Assistant or Associate Professor of Nursing will have the opportunity to:

• Teach courses in the prelicensure nursing program track, and possibly the RN-BS completion program track. The RN-BS completion program track includes online didactic courses and possible travel to distance sites for experiential student activities. 
• Teach courses that include, but are not limited to, general on-campus classroom, lab/simulation nursing classes in the state-of-the-art lab, and on-site clinical nursing courses. Some possible content areas include professional nursing, evidence-based nursing practice, nursing research, community health nursing, nursing leadership and management, maternal newborn, child adolescent, family, adult, and geriatric nursing. 
• Contribute to a program of scholarship within the discipline, student advising, service to the University and community, and other associated faculty duties.
• Provide interdisciplinary involvement in activities that support BSU’s Shared Fundamental Values.
• Contribute to a collegial and supportive environment that advances the goals of the Department, including curriculum development, assessment, and other departmental governance activities. 
• Assist with programmatic accreditation.
• Advance your education while working as a Nursing department faculty member!  The Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) master agreement allows faculty members to enroll in courses at any university in the Minnesota State System without payment of tuition or fees (except laboratory and special course fees).  Up to thirty (30) credits per year are allowed.  In addition, a faculty member’s spouse/domestic partner, or dependent children may share this right within the credit limit, but with waiver of tuition only.

Minimum qualifications for this position include:

• Master’s degree in Nursing from an accredited institution at the start of employment.
• Recent nursing practice OR clinical teaching experience.
• Unencumbered Minnesota RN licensure at the start of employment.
• Demonstrated the background study requirements according to Minnesota Statutes and clinical facilities’ requirements.
• A strong desire to interact with students on campus in a faculty/advisor role.
• Experience working with diverse cultures and populations in a clinical and/or educational setting, including nontraditional and underrepresented students.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, or PhD in nursing or an associated health care, leadership, or education field.
• Experience teaching in baccalaureate nursing education.
• Nursing experience in practice OR clinical teaching experience in an acute care setting within the last five years.
• Experience with care of the family in the acute care setting.
• The ability to design and deliver online courses using Desire to Learn (D2L) or similar software
• Evidence of successful quality teaching and demonstrated experience with assessing student learning.

APPLY ONLINE: https://bemidjistate.peopleadmin.com/

Inquiries:

Dr. Diana Kostrzewski, Associate Dean of Nursing/Chief Nurse Administrator

Phone: (218) 755-2101

Email:  diana.kostrzewski@bemidjistate.edu

If you have general questions about this posting or submitting an application or bid, contact Melanie Pakonen at melanie.pakonen@bemidjistate.edu

UNIVERSITY / COMMUNITY

WHY BEMIDJI:

Bemidji State University is nestled among the pines along the shores of Lake Bemidji, just blocks from a thriving downtown community. In this Northwoods setting, students, staff, and faculty have a variety of activities at their fingertips. Possessing all the charm and character of a college town, Bemidji remains a tight-knit community of good neighbors and engaged citizens who always come out to cheer for the Beavers. While the city of Bemidji — named after the Ojibwe Chief Shaynowishkung (nicknamed Bemidji) — is home to a diverse population of more than 15,000 people, it serves a regional population of more than 100,000.

Though quaint and historic, the city offers the urban conveniences upon which college students rely. Bemidji State is conveniently located minutes away from affordable restaurants, cozy coffee shops, grocery stores, city parks and more. Small, locally owned shops and art sculptures line the streets of downtown Bemidji, while national chains can be found in and around the Bemidji area, including an uptown selection of department stores and restaurants. students at Bemidji State University have the opportunity to experience a dynamic local culture and history. Bemidji also sits at the center of the legends of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. The famous statues of Paul and Babe greet students as they drive in from the south along Lake Bemidji.

The thriving downtown community presents ample opportunities for engagement off-campus. Among other things, there are fine-dining restaurants, cafes, and a natural foods co-op in downtown Bemidji. The historic Paul Bunyan Playhouse has a calendar of classic shows; restaurants and lounges offer weekly live music performances; the First Friday Art Walk provides a tour of new monthly art exhibits; and annual events such as the Loop the Lake Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Blue Ox Marathon, Bemidji Winterfest, and The Minnesota Finlandia bring the community together.

For those who love the outdoors, there are wooded, multi-use trail systems within minutes of campus and community parks with walking trails, playgrounds and a skate park. Lake Bemidji State Park and its miles of navigable trails is located directly across the lake from BSU, and the Buena Vista Ski Area — just 12 miles north of campus — offers downhill skiing and BSU-sponsored student transportation in the winter months. Further, the Mississippi River Headwaters is a mere 45 minutes from Bemidji.

For further information About BSU visit our website at: http://www.bemidjistate.edu

Review a "special report on how this former lumber town has rebuilt itself as a high-speed, regional center of enterprise" at Bemidji 2.0

Other Resources:

• Visit Bemidji – https://www.visitbemidji.com/
• 218 Relocate / Greater Bemidji – https://www.218relocate.com/
• Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce – https://www.bemidji.org/ 
• Explore Minnesota – https://www.exploreminnesota.com/article/top-things-to-do-bemidji