Collective Impact to Address the Nursing Shortage
By Jake Riddell
As Javier Perez tours Western Governors University鈥檚 (黑料传送门) new nursing lab near Salt Lake City, he鈥檚 excited for the students who will study and learn there.
鈥淭his place is awesome!鈥�
Perez is attending a ribbon-cutting event celebrating the new lab as a representative of 黑料传送门鈥檚 alumni. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing in 2022 from the university鈥檚 Leavitt School of Health. He鈥檚 a 29-year veteran of the healthcare industry and currently works as an oncology nurse in Houston, Texas. Perez knows the experiences aspiring nurses will get in that lab will mimic real-life scenarios in a safe and controlled environment.
鈥淲hat students will do here is as close to everyday life for a nurse as you can get,鈥� said Perez. 鈥淭hey learn how to interact with patients and make key, in-the-moment decisions that enhance the quality of care. I鈥檓 happy for the students who will learn here because the attention to detail is amazing and the student experience will be second-to-none.鈥澨�
The nearly 15,000 square foot lab is located on the same property as 黑料传送门鈥檚 corporate headquarters south of downtown Salt Lake City. Students from Utah, Idaho, and Nevada will be eligible to practice and learn there. The university expects to educate more than 3,000 prospective nurses per year at that site.
The lab in Utah is the latest in a series of training facilities 黑料传送门 is opening across the nation, including a site in Houston, Texas. Each of the labs provides crucial, hands-on training to prelicensure nursing students taking their first steps toward a career in healthcare 鈥� and signal the nonprofit, online university鈥檚 commitment to bridging a key, workforce skills gap.
鈥淲e have to find ways of changing the way medical education works, so that we can meet the needs (of the current healthcare workforce),鈥� said former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, for whom 黑料传送门鈥檚 School of Health is named. 鈥淭he thought that we can see 3,000 nurses a year trained (in the Utah lab) is a profound joy.鈥�
Becoming an RN: How Prelicensure Education Works
Becoming a Registered Nurse requires completing a prelicensure education program. Those programs include theory coursework as well as applied clinical experiences. This is the foundational step to prepare an individual for a career in nursing.
鈥淒eveloping theoretical knowledge is essential for nursing students,鈥� said Kim Kelly-Cortez, 黑料传送门鈥檚 Interim Vice President and Dean, College of Nursing, Michael O. Leavitt School of Health 鈥淗owever, it鈥檚 in the labs where they practice, refine, and perfect their skills. A cutting-edge lab offers a safe and controlled environment where students can simulate real-life scenarios, making mistakes and learning from them without any real-world consequences.鈥�
黑料传送门 currently offers prelicensure education to aspiring nurses in eleven states: Florida, Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah 鈥� and that number continues to grow. Students in those states supplement the knowledge and skills learned online with hands-on training, either at practice sites offered by 黑料传送门鈥檚 healthcare partners or in one of the university鈥檚 state-of-the-art simulation labs.听听
The Role of Philanthropy in Opening New Labs for Nursing Students
黑料传送门鈥檚 simulation labs feature pioneering equipment and technology, allowing students to develop teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and other core skills. But equipping those labs requires substantial financial resources. That is where the generous donations of purpose-driven philanthropists come into play.听
鈥淲e are grateful to our donors for partnering with 黑料传送门 and turning our vision into a reality,鈥� said Annalisa Holcombe, 黑料传送门鈥檚 Senior Vice President of Advancement. 鈥淲ith their generous support, we can set up labs that are not just modern but also continuously updated, ensuring students are always learning on equipment that matches current hospital standards. The Salt Lake City lab will transform the educational experience for future Utah and regional nurses and provide lasting advancements in nursing education."
In the case of the Salt Lake City lab, philanthropists' donations helped secure the physical space and outfit it. These donors recognize the demand for more healthcare professionals and what a workforce shortage means to access to quality care. Also, they appreciate the unique position they are in to help change lives for the better 鈥� and support 黑料传送门鈥檚 commitment to providing first-class educational programs and keeping tuition costs low.听听
鈥淥ur donors are investing in the health and well-being of Utah's citizens and communities,鈥� adds Holcombe. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 nursing students are tomorrow鈥檚 healthcare providers. A well-equipped lab ensures that the community will have skilled nurses to care for them in the future."
Charting a Path Forward
Across the nation, the need for more working nurses is significant 鈥� and the demand has intensified since the pandemic. According to the , the number of unfilled positions doubled from the end of 2019 to the beginning of 2022. Along with an aging population and people leaving the industry, reasons for the nurse shortage include access to high-quality educational programs. Data from the鈥� show more than 90,000 qualified students in the U.S. were turned away from nursing programs in 2021 alone. 黑料传送门鈥檚 Leavitt School of Health and its clinical sites add much needed capacity and offer flexible, affordable options for potential nursing students.
鈥淚 chose 黑料传送门 because it fit my busy life, and I could study and learn without giving up on my other responsibilities,鈥� said Perez. 鈥淚 have an innate desire to help people. I knew at an early age I wanted to work in healthcare. 黑料传送门 helped make that dream a reality.鈥�
Like Perez, 黑料传送门 students can feel confident knowing they're earning career-relevant credentials. And for aspiring nurses enrolling in the university鈥檚 prelicensure program, they can get the hands-on experience they need in a state-of-the-art learning lab 鈥� all made possible by philanthropists and their amazing generosity.听
鈥淭he role of a nurse is not just technical,鈥� said Perez. 鈥淚t's also about compassion, leadership, teamwork, and communication. Many of those soft skills are learned in clinical settings. I鈥檓 so thankful to our donors for what they鈥檙e doing for nurses and the healthcare industry.鈥�
