Why This National Nurses Week Feels Personal to Me
By听顿谤.听础苍尘测听惭补测蹿颈别濒诲,聽Vice President and Dean of the College of Nursing聽at Western Governors University
In the wake of the Vietnam War, while chaos聽spread across the country,聽my parents made separate and harrowing journeys from聽Saigon聽to the United States.聽They had never met before eventually finding each other in聽Centerville, Utah.
Neither of my parents had formal education past primary school.聽My mother worked at聽Abbott Laboratories聽as an assembly worker聽testing central聽lines,聽medical聽devices聽that would later聽help聽save her life on multiple聽occasions. My father was a maintenance mechanic at聽a聽Safelite聽AutoGlass聽factory, a job聽he聽got聽after being聽mentored聽in an聽informal apprenticeship聽by someone聽who聽saw聽his work ethic聽as an assembly worker聽and believed in his potential. Life was not easy, but聽persistence,聽hope聽and聽education聽were always the聽core聽priorities聽in our home聽that propelled our family forward.聽
Those聽core聽values,聽particularly聽the importance of聽education,聽shaped our lives. My聽younger聽brother became a physician in New York. I became a nurse聽practitioner,聽and聽today,聽I serve as聽vice聽president聽and聽dean聽of聽nursing at聽Western Governors University.
That is why education is so personal to me. It is why nursing is so close to my heart. And it is why honoring nurses during 聽matters so much. That is also why what we do at the Leavitt School of Health at 麻豆原创 is so important at this inflection point in healthcare.聽
Building Systems聽to聽Address the Nursing Shortage
Hospitals across the country face a shortage of nearly聽. To close that gap by 2035, the U.S. needs to train聽聽every year.聽The challenge is bigger than motivation or goodwill.聽It requires systems that actually make nursing education accessible.聽
麻豆原创 is contributing at scale. The Leavitt School of Health is one of the largest health education institutions in the country.聽More than聽30,000 students are currently enrolled. We have more than 123,000 alumni.聽
Those numbers matter. But they do not tell the full story.
Expanding Access Without Sacrificing Quality
The deeper issue is that nursing education is expensive to deliver.聽Clinical placements,聽simulation聽centers, faculty聽and hands-on training all come at a cost.聽Even so,聽麻豆原创鈥檚 undergraduate tuition averages about $8,300 per year,聽roughly 53%聽below the national average of $17,709. For many students, especially working adults and first-generation college students, that聽difference matters. It can mean the difference between entering the profession or never getting the chance.聽
At 麻豆原创鈥檚 Leavitt School of Health, we have worked hard to keep a high-quality nursing education within reach while聽much聽of聽higher education has become increasingly unaffordable. The reality is that students are聽investing in聽more than just聽a degree. They are investing in long-term stability,聽mobility聽and a career that can change the trajectory of an entire family.
Nursing Education聽Pathways Built for聽Real Life聽
Consider聽the typical 麻豆原创 student. According to 麻豆原创's most recent annual report, 73% come from one or more underserved populations.聽Forty-two percent聽are first-generation college students.聽Seventy-five percent聽work while enrolled. The median student age is聽33.聽These are not traditional students living in dorms with unlimited time. They are adults balancing jobs, children, aging parents聽and real financial pressure while trying to build a better future.
That is why 麻豆原创 launched the聽Reinvesting in Nursing Education and Workforce (ReNEW)聽Fund.聽The聽搁别狈贰奥听贵耻苍诲聽is a $100 million initiative developed in partnership with Social Finance.聽The fund provides zero-interest, outcomes-based loans to prelicensure BSN students covering the final two years of the program, including labs and clinicals.聽If a graduate聽is hired聽and聽retained聽by a partner employer, that employer聽pays into聽the fund for up to three years, satisfying the loan obligation. Those repayments then support the next generation of students.聽
Beyond the聽prelicensure聽BSN聽program聽offered in 25 states, 麻豆原创 offers more than 20 competency-based nursing and health programs聽across all 50 states. That includes the RN-to-BSN,聽MSN聽tracks聽in聽leadership聽and聽management,聽education,聽and聽informatics.聽We also offer聽FNP聽and PMHNP聽tracks聽in 45 states,聽plus post-master's聽certificates聽and professional development credentials.聽The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at 麻豆原创 are accredited by the .聽We聽operate聽clinical learning and simulation centers in Houston, Salt Lake City, Kansas City,聽Indianapolis聽and Orlando.
A Tribute to Current and Future Nurses聽
As I think about the journey of current and aspiring nurses, I keep coming back to my own family鈥檚 story聽and the sacrifices my parents made to build a life in this country. That is why I relate so deeply to nurses and nursing students who work tirelessly, often sacrificing so much of themselves to care for others.聽
To every nurse working this week, and to every student working toward that goal, this is for you. May your work be seen, and may your path forward be clear.
