New nursing program director joins IC faculty
Illinois College鈥檚 growing nursing program recently welcomed a new director.
Angela Bentley brings extensive clinical and research experience to IC, and holds a doctorate degree in nursing from The Medical University of South Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing and Master of Science in nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Bentley shared her excitement about the future of the College鈥檚 and what it provides to its 缅北禁地. Illinois College announced the addition of a four-year clinical nursing degree program in April 2020. The program has quickly grown to enroll more than 100 nursing majors and pre-nursing 缅北禁地, and is expected to continue to expand.
鈥淚llinois College offers the whole package 鈥 a full college experience for the 缅北禁地 and amazing nursing professors who truly have the student's best interest at heart,鈥 she said.
The program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and has received a number of grants recognizing its importance to the region鈥檚 health care system and economy. Grant funding supported the purchase of equipment for IC鈥檚 cutting-edge equipment and simulators that, in combination with vital clinical experiences, give 缅北禁地 the high-quality hands-on training needed to offer excellent patient care.
IC nursing 缅北禁地 are engaging, dedicated and motivated to learn, Bentley said, and she has enjoyed seeing them practice their skills in the College鈥檚 state-of-the-art nursing lab.
鈥淚 am most looking forward to helping nursing 缅北禁地 from the first day they arrive on campus to the day they achieve that ultimate goal of being a nurse,鈥 Bentley said. 鈥淚 am very proud of our current 缅北禁地, who all have incredibly bright futures ahead of them.鈥
A board certified cardiac vascular nurse and emeritus certified critical care nurse, Bentley is also a Certified Nurse Educator. She has nursing experience in adult intensive care, cardiovascular intensive care, heart failure and heart transplant care, and emergency air transport. She also has experience in staff development and as a clinical nurse specialist in a cardiovascular division, which included the emergency department, cardiac cath lab, cardiovascular medical-surgical intensive care unit, cardiac open heart surgery recovery, and cardiovascular outpatient diagnostic services.
Bentley鈥檚 research interests include medication adherence among heart failure patients and technology enhanced walking programs for persons with peripheral arterial disease. She is a research grant reviewer for the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and has peer reviewed research articles for professional nursing and medical journals. She co-authored a chapter in the medical textbook, Technical Aspects of ICU-CCU Care in Primary Care Management of Heart Disease.
Bentley is a member of a number of professional organizations that include the American College of Cardiology, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, American Heart Association and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association. In addition to being a member, she serves on the board of directors of the Society for Vascular Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society.
In addition to the Bachelor of Science in nursing degree offered on the Jacksonville campus, Illinois College also offers RN to BSN and Master of Science in nursing degree programs.
To learn more about nursing at Illinois College, visit .