Connie Kuebeck, RN, MS, MBA is the associate dean for health sciences at Rose State University.
She’ll celebrate 43 years in nursing this May.
And every day she gets to be a part of molding the next generation of nurses at one of the most student-centric programs in the metro.
Located in Midwest City, Rose State has long been home to one of the most popular nursing programs in Central Oklahoma.
Class sizes are small, offerings are flexible and the faculty invests in students.
Rose State prides itself on working with students.
“If a student is compelled to only come to classes in the afternoon or early evening we have a cohort we can put them in. If they prefer to come during the day we offer that, too, and at least once a year we have an online option,” Kuebeck said. “It just makes it more available for those students who already have family or work obligations or it just doesn’t fit with their schedule to come during the day all the time.”
Students pursuing their associate’s degree in nursing have access to clinical sites throughout the metro during the four-semester program.
Nursing courses are centrally located in one of the newest buildings on campus.
“I think we’re in a good location for students throughout the metro area and also the outlying areas” she said. “They don’t have to come all the way close to downtown or even go through downtown if they live anywhere on the east side. We’re also convenient for students living North and South because we have a great number of those.
“And we have smaller class sizes than some of the other programs that offer the same degree that we do.”
Kuebeck said that for roughly every 13 students there is one faculty member.
And, Rose State NCLEX pass rates are consistently above state and national averages.
Kuebeck shifted to education in 1998 and has seen educational offerings change with the times. The focus at Rose State has always been on the student and Kuebeck says that’s why faculty focus on making those bonds.
She saw it daily during the early stages of the pandemic when hospitals kept students out of the hospital.
The encouragement was there on a daily basis, which helped students stay focused on their ultimate goal of becoming nurses.
“For the students who got to go back in and do clinicals I was amazed at their resilience,” she said. “They were willing to get in there, pitch in and help. The students were watching from the sidelines at home and we all felt kind of helpless.”
“When they eased up restrictions on students they were happy to get back in there and be part of the solution. It made them want to be more a part of nursing even more than before.”
Kuebeck said the school welcomes applications from any and all prospective students.
“We have great advisors here with our health science division who are experts in helping people plot out their education path in the most efficient manner and to get them to their goal in the least amount of time,” Kuebeck said.
“We welcome anyone to call the advisors, call the division office and get some information and start looking at the path to a new career.”
For more information about the Rose State Nursing Program visit: https://www.rose.edu/nursing
