Eagle Care
EWU’s first class of nurses is ready to make their mark.
In the PNW and across the nation, a persistent shortage of nurses remains a big problem for hospitals, clinics and the patients who depend on them. According to recent data from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, this year more than 295,000 nursing jobs will go unfilled in the United States. Washington is among those states most impacted.
Eastern’s School of Nursing is just two years old, but it’s already doing its part to fill the gap. In May, the school celebrated its first class of graduates, with all 40 students who entered the program — 37 of whom are from right here in the state of Washington — earning their BSN degrees.
The new graduates include many students who are the first in their families to attend college. Some come from rural farming communities, others are from large cities. This range gives them a unique perspective on the healthcare needs in communities throughout our region, says Donna Bachand, the EWU professor of nursing who was instrumental in establishing the school.
And that’s not all, Bachand adds. They are also, as a group, exceptionally strong in a quality essential to success in the nursing profession: caring.
“They support each other emotionally, they support one another academically and they seem to genuinely care about one another,” Bachand says. “That’s the culture that we wanted to build here in the School of Nursing — and I’m so pleased to see that.”
Shari McMahan, Eastern’s president, says that when the BSN program was launched university leadership envisioned a future where EWU-trained nurses would make a big difference in our region.
They support each other emotionally, they support one another academically and they seem to genuinely care about one another,” Bachand says. “That’s the culture that we wanted to build here in the School of Nursing — and I’m so pleased to see that.”
“Today, with the graduation of our first cohort, that future is here,” McMahan says. “I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for our students, our faculty, and the communities they will now serve.”
And, in fact, over the past two years, the students have already made meaningful contributions, even while successfully pursuing their studies.
This past semester, for example, students completed their capstone clinical work at facilities from the
Tri-Cities to Coeur d’Alene, including all the major hospitals in Spokane and Spokane Valley.
Bachand liked the results.
“Everywhere we go in the community, we are welcome. And I think it’s because of the reputation that Eastern has,” Bachand says. “It’s not just because they need nurses, I think they really want Eagle nurses.”
