Succession planning: when an academic merger occurs.

Optimal positioning of nursing in an interdisciplinary college calls for an expanded concept of succession planning that includes broad-gauged organizational and staff development strategies. The process requires time, openness to incremental change, effective leadership within the academic unit, and a well-thought-through faculty committee structure and budgetary authority. At the University of Southern Maine College of Nursing and Health Professions, succession planning has led to structural and budgetary changes and has required a flexible process, responsive to larger university priorities and fiscal challenges, that is shaped by a vision for the future of the college and of nursing.

Developing an accelerated BSN program: one college's experience.

During the past 10 years, there has been an explosion in the number of new accelerated Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. Declining enrollments in undergraduate nursing programs and the nursing workforce shortage created the impetus for this trend. In the past 2 years, baccalaureate nursing enrollments have begun to increase again and many nursing programs now struggle with a faculty shortage; however, starting an accelerated BSN program still presents an opportunity.

Integrating master's-level entry education into an established BS and MS program.

This article shares lessons learned from 12 years of integrating a second-degree entry-level master's program into existing nursing curricula. Ninety-five students have completed this Second Degree Options Program. All but one passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) on the first try.

Physicochemical Investigations on the Interaction of Surfactants and Salts with Polyvinylpyrrolidone in Aqueous Medium.

Microcalorimetric investigations have been carried out onthe interaction of the surfactants sodium cholate, sodium deoxycholate, tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetyl(hexadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide, and p-tert-octylphenoxy polyoxy-ethylene ether (Triton X-100) and the salts potassium iodide, sodium benzoate, sodium bromide, and sodium salicylate with the neutral polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The enthalpy of dilution of the surfactants has been measured in the absence and presence of the polymer and the results are compared to determine the effect of PVP on the micellization of the surfactants and the energetics of the process. As well, the micellization activity of the surfactants in the presence of the polymer has been studied by conductometric and fluorimetric methods.