ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Minnesota's newest nursing school is officially accepting students – and the news comes at a critical time amid a nationwide shortage of nurses.

The University of St. Thomas' Morrison Family College of Health School of Nursing has received approvals from the three governing bodies needed to recruit its first classes for the pre-licensure Bachelor of Science and pre-licensure Master of Science nursing programs starting in fall 2022. These approvals came from the Higher Learning Commission (November), the Minnesota State Board of Nursing (August) and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (April).

"Our School of Nursing has very distinct goals around closing health equity gaps," said St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan. "We are dedicated to increasing access to culturally responsive care with a goal of enrolling at least 30% students of color and students from other underrepresented backgrounds. Our students will help to provide more care, to more people, in more diverse and rural communities."

Dr. Martha Scheckel, founding director of the School of Nursing, said she's never seen such a demand for nurses throughout her many years in the field.

"It's part of our commitment to serving the common good," Scheckel said. "It's especially important that we are addressing the nursing workforce shortage that has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Aspiring nurses wanted

Both programs are open to students without nursing degrees who want to earn their licenses and become registered nurses. Prospective graduate students can apply directly to the Master of Science in Nursing program. Undergraduates must apply to the bachelor's degree in nursing program after completing their first semester at St. Thomas.

Dr. MayKao Y. Hang, vice president, strategic initiatives and founding dean of the Morrison Family College of Health, said the approvals to start recruiting ensure the School of Nursing is prepared to provide rigorous and high-quality training.

"The students are going to receive this wonderful liberal arts foundation to actually address what we're seeing in society today in a holistic way, which feels transformational," Hang said. "We are planting a seed in this community that will bear fruit for generations to come."

A whole person and whole community focus

The School of Nursing will teach students to address health inequities and change systems that produce them. It will educate students to care for the whole person – mind, body, spirit, and community – and promote health and wellness. Through clinical placements, students will be exposed to many nursing opportunities.

"The clinical placements that students who are going into nursing receive are going to look different at St. Thomas," Hang said. "What we're seeking and what we have built are relationships with community organizations that have nursing in historically excluded communities, such as the Downtown Improvement District in the heart of Minneapolis."

CONTACT: Vineeta Sawkar, [email protected]  

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SOURCE University of St. Thomas