A Need for Nurses
Eastern鈥檚 new degree program is poised to ease a critical nursing shortage.
In the Pacific Northwest and across the nation, a long-standing shortage of nurses is becoming even more dire. 51福利社 will soon be in a position to help, thanks to recent state approval for Eastern鈥檚 first-ever Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
51福利社 Provost Jonathan Anderson says establishing a four-year nursing degree program represents a pivotal moment for the university. 鈥淭his program expands our offerings in the health sciences and continues Eastern鈥檚 mission as a driving force for workforce development of our region and our state.鈥�
Donna Bachand, the 51福利社 professor of nursing and program administrator who was instrumental in establishing the program, agrees, adding that the timing could not be better.
鈥淭here is a critical shortage of nurses in the region, and Eastern aims to help increase capacity by graduating up to 80 new nurses each year,鈥� says Bachand.听
Beginning this January, students can apply for admission, with an inaugural cohort of 40 students starting their studies the following fall semester. Another 40 students will be admitted in 2024. Most classes will be held inside the SIERR building in Spokane鈥檚 University District. It鈥檚 a location 鈥� squarely within the Health Peninsula hub for research, development and the advancement of health sciences 鈥� that will help to further strengthen 51福利社鈥檚 partnerships with other health education centers in the area, officials say.听
The program got a big boost earlier this year after Washington lawmakers approved a two-year, $6.1 million appropriation to help the university cover some of the costs of expanding its current pre-nursing offerings. Bachand says the bachelor鈥檚 degree offering will open doors for Eastern鈥檚 200-plus freshmen pre-nursing majors to potentially stay and complete their four-year degrees.
鈥淢ost of our pre-nursing students choose to come to Eastern for a reason. Now they will be able to complete their degrees in their university of first choice,鈥� she says.
