Stephanie Black

Herzing University, USA

Abstract Title:

Scaling Nursing Education Responsibly: Managing Growth While Protecting Student and Program Outcomes

Biography:

Stephanie Black, DNP, RN is a Doctor of Nursing Practice–prepared nurse and faculty member at Herzing University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her professional focus centers on global health, community-based interventions, and health promotion in underserved populations. Dr. Black has led and participated in international service-learning initiatives, with an emphasis on sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene practices. Her work highlights the critical role of nursing leadership in advancing health equity and addressing social determinants of health. She is dedicated to preparing future nurses to engage in impactful global health efforts.

Research Interests:

Nursing education programs are under increasing pressure to expand capacity in response to global workforce shortages. While growth is essential to meet demand, it introduces significant challenges related to student outcomes, resource allocation, and regulatory compliance. Institutions must carefully balance enrollment expansion with the ability to maintain academic quality, clinical readiness, and compliance with accreditation and regulatory expectations. This session examines strategies for managing growth in nursing and healthcare education programs while protecting key outcomes, including licensure pass rates, retention, progression, and employment. Participants will explore how rapid or unbalanced expansion can impact faculty capacity, clinical placement availability, student support services, and consistency across campuses or delivery models. These factors are often closely evaluated by accreditors and regulatory agencies as indicators of program effectiveness and sustainability. Drawing on experience supporting multi-campus, multi-state nursing programs, this co-presented session will integrate both academic and compliance perspectives to highlight practical, collaborative approaches. Topics will include aligning enrollment planning with available resources, monitoring outcomes across expanding programs, identifying early indicators of risk, and strengthening communication between academic leadership and compliance functions. The session will also explore how institutions can use outcomes data to inform strategic decision-making, ensuring that growth initiatives are sustainable and aligned with both educational goals and regulatory expectations. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to support responsible program expansion, maintain strong student outcomes, and demonstrate continuous improvement in increasingly complex and highly regulated environments.