![\"School](\"https:\/\/www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/06\/Semester-Commencement-2025-10-copy-300x209.jpg\")
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In <\/span>the PNW<\/span> 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Eastern\u2019s School of Nursing is just two years old, but it\u2019s 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 \u2014 37 of whom are from right here in the state of Washington \u2014\u00a0 <\/span>earning their BSN degrees.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n And that\u2019s not all, Bachand adds. They are also, as a group, exceptionally strong in a quality essential to success in the nursing profession: caring. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey support each other emotionally, they support one another academically and they seem to genuinely care about one another,\u201d Bachand says. \u201cThat\u2019s the culture that we wanted to build here in the School of Nursing \u2014 and I\u2019m so pleased to see that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Shari McMahan, Eastern\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n They support each other emotionally, they support one another academically and they seem to genuinely care about one another,\u201d Bachand says. \u201cThat\u2019s the culture that we wanted to build here in the School of Nursing \u2014 and I\u2019m so pleased to see that.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n \u201cToday, with the graduation of our first cohort, that future is here,\u201d McMahan says. \u201cI am filled with immense pride and gratitude for our students, our faculty, and the communities they will now serve.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n And, in fact, over the past two years, the students have already made meaningful contributions, even while successfully pursuing their studies. <\/span><\/p>\n This past semester, for example, students completed their capstone clinical work at facilities from the Bachand liked the results.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEverywhere we go in the community, we are welcome. And I think it\u2019s because of the reputation that Eastern has,\u201d Bachand says. \u201cIt\u2019s not just because they need nurses, I think they really want Eagle nurses.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" EWU\u2019s first class of nurses is ready to make their mark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":484,"featured_media":86144,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-86141","stories","type-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","stories_categories-students","stories_tags-spring-summer-2025"],"acf":{"subheading":"","featured_image_format":"cover","display_byline":false,"display_featured_image":false,"display_date_published":false,"featured_video":"","Links":false,"Resources":false,"page_override_title":"","page_hide_sidebar":false,"page_enable_page_nav":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stories\/86141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stories"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/stories"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/484"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stories\/86141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86372,"href":"https:\/\/www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/stories\/86141\/revisions\/86372"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ewu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nTri-Cities to Coeur d\u2019Alene, including all the major hospitals in Spokane and Spokane Valley. <\/span><\/p>\n