Ihrke Named Executive Director of IWU Nursing Programs

Dr. Barbara Ihrke has been named the first Executive Director of Nursing Programs at Indiana Wesleyan University. The various nursing programs serve almost 2,000 students.

Ihrke joined the IWU nursing faculty in 1993 after serving as a missionary nurse in Africa. She has been Chair of the Nursing Division since 2005.

As executive director, Ihrke will coordinate leadership for all IWU nursing programs, which are preparing for an accreditation visit in November 2009 by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education. Accreditation for the nursing programs was last renewed in 1999.

"Dr. Ihrke also will begin to lay the groundwork for a more coordinated approach to the leadership of nursing education at IWU," said Dr. David Wright, IWU Provost and Chief Academic Officer.

A study currently is ongoing to consider ways to restructure IWU’s various academic divisions.

"Dr. Ihrke will serve as Executive Director of Nursing Programs, which is a full-time administrative faculty position, through the 2009-2010 fiscal year. At that time, we hope to have a clearer picture of the future of nursing education at IWU," Wright said.

Ihrke will continue to hold an appointment in the Division of Nursing at her current rank of Professor. Rob Dawson, who joined the nursing faculty in 2004, will serve as interim chair of the division for the spring 2009 semester.

"Professor Dawson has distinguished himself as an able administrator in his work at IWU, especially in regard to his leadership with the transition-to-nursing program," Wright said. "He enjoys the respect of his colleagues."

The IWU Nursing Division first offered classes in 1972, and the first class of nurses graduated in 1975. About 500 students currently are enrolled in Nursing Division programs on the Marion campus.

In addition to the traditional pre-licensure program in Marion, which leads to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree, about 1,500 students are enrolled in three other IWU nursing programs:

• An accelerated second-degree program, often referred to as a transition-to- nursing program. Twenty-four students are enrolled in the programs.
• A Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program for registered nurses. The program, which has 1,000 students enrolled, is offered online and onsite through IWU’s College of Adult and Professional Studies.
• A Master of Science in Nursing degree program, with tracks in primary-care nursing, nursing education and nursing administration. About 450 students are enrolled in those programs, which are offered through IWU’s College of Graduate Studies.

The primary-care curriculum, which offers classes in Indianapolis and Louisville, prepares students for licensure as nurse practitioners. The other two master’s degrees are offered online.

Ihrke said IWU has one of the largest nursing programs among the 180 member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. "More important, we want IWU to be one of the premier nursing programs in the country," she said.

Goals for the Nursing Division, Ihrke said, include more opportunities for research, both for undergraduate and graduate students, plus broader nursing studies in international settings. In 2010, 15 nursing students will spend a semester in Zambia.

"Health care needs are constantly expanding and changing,” Ihrke said. “We need to keep pace with those changes."

Ihrke was a missionary nurse in the Congo for 12 years, under appointment of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church.

Ihrke has two undergraduate degrees in nursing and earned a Master of Science in Community Health Nursing from IWU. She also has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University.

In addition, Ihrke has completed further studies in nursing at the Indiana University School of Nursing and the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium. Since returning to the United States, Ihrke has maintained an active publication and presentation schedule in international and intercultural nursing studies.