Dr. Cindy Rubenstein, director of Randolph-Macon College’s Bachelor of Nursing (BSN) program, has been appointed a State Grassroots Liaison (SGL) in Virginia for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

The State Grassroots Liaison Program
AACN created the SGL program in 2004 to help advance nursing education, research and practice issues. As an SGL, Rubenstein will be the point of contact for other AACN deans/directors in Virginia, keep the Government Affairs Committee and Government Affairs staff informed of state policy issues, and serve as a mentor for fellow deans during Capitol Hill visits.

“Grassroots advocacy is critical to advance academic nursing on Capitol Hill,” says Rubenstein. “Our goal is to develop relationships with our representatives and serve as a resource to inform legislators on policies that advance nursing education and health care.”

RMC’s BSN Program
An outstanding complement to the college’s 54-plus current academic offerings, RMC’s BSN program integrates the college’s liberal arts tradition as it prepares students to work as collaborative members of interdisciplinary healthcare teams.

Nursing students will develop essential skills as they gain a deep knowledge of the sciences. Admitted to the program as freshmen, nursing students will have the opportunity to engage in discipline-specific learning beginning in their first year at RMC.

At Randolph-Macon, students are provided with opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom to learn while developing and refining critical thinking skills, problem solving abilities, and excellent communication skills. These are the hallmarks of a Randolph-Macon education, and will be a key component of the BSN program.

An Optimal Learning Environment
Construction has begun on the state-of-the-art building that will house Randolph-Macon College’s BSN program. The facility, located between Fox and Smithey Halls, is being built by English Construction Company and is slated to open in June 2020. In the coming weeks, a time-lapse camera will follow construction of the three-story, 30,000-square-foot building.

Features of the building include advanced simulation technology using lifelike manikins; videotaping capabilities; health assessment and skills labs; and a home health lab. Nursing students will experience discipline-specific as well as interdisciplinary learning opportunities in an environment designed to improve technical nursing skills, clinical judgment, decision making, communication and teamwork.

Cindy Rubenstein, Ph.D., RN, CPNP-PC
Dr. Rubenstein has extensive experience as a nurse clinician, educator and administrator. She successfully developed and implemented BSN program expansions, curricular revisions, and program delivery methods at Mercer University and at James Madison University. Highlights of her curricular innovations include phased-in integration of iPad technology into a pre-licensure BSN program and academic/practice partnership initiatives which include nursing student fellowship and scholar programs to facilitate practice transition and retention of new BSN graduates.