Susan D. Dowell

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Ohio University Eastern and the Ohio University School of Nursing have named Susan D. Dowell as the Associate Director of Nursing at the Eastern Campus.

Dowell, DNP, MSN, MBA, RNC will lead the Eastern Campus’ new BSN program. which was officially announced earlier this month.

A native of Zanesville, Dowell will also continue to serve as Associate Professor of Nursing. Previously, she held a variety of positions within the Ohio School of Nursing, including stints as assistant professor of nursing, laboratory coordinator, clinical instructor, and course coordinator.

“Dr. Dowell’s record of achievement within the Ohio University School of Nursing gives me great confidence in her ability to lead the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the Eastern Campus,” said Ohio University Eastern Dean Jeremy Webster. “In her more than 14 years at OHIO, Dr. Dowell has shown a commitment to student success and learning, as well as a focus on community-building, which are central to our institution’s mission and key to the success of the BSN program. I look forward to working with her in this new capacity.”

Deborah Henderson, professor and director of the School of Nursing within Ohio University’s College of Health Sciences and Professions, shared Webster’s excitement about Dowell’s hiring at the Eastern Campus.

“Susan is the perfect choice to lead Ohio University Eastern’s new BSN program,” Henderson said. “She possesses a vast combination of classroom and clinical experiences that will be essential to preparing students to help shape our nation’s complex and changing health care systems.”

“I am grateful to be given the opportunity to work with the students, faculty, and staff of the Eastern campus,” Dowell said. “Every day, they share their talents with students and affirm Ohio University’s vision to provide the highest quality educational opportunities to the region’s students. I hope to support and grow those efforts with our nursing students and the community by properly preparing them to meet the needs of an ever-changing and growing healthcare workforce.”

According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, BSN programs are also growing in popularity, as employers are expressing a strong preference for new nurses with baccalaureate preparation. Findings from the latest AACN survey on the Employment of New Nurse Graduates show that 46 percent of employers require new hires to have a bachelor’s degree while 88 percent strongly prefer baccalaureate-prepared nurses.

“It can’t be overstated that demand is great and opportunities are plentiful, both locally and nationally, for nurses with BSN degrees,” Webster said. “As a result, we believe the timing is perfect to introduce Susan as the leader of this nationally recognized program to better serve our students and the community.”

For more information on OHIO Eastern’s new BSN program contact Dowell at dowell@ohio.edu or 740-699-2345.