Wayne State College recently partnered with Creighton University in a nursing program where students will do three years at WSC then go to CHI Health in Grand Island for one year.  

Students in this program will work in the hospital and hopefully stay in that community.  

“I think it’s unique on the Creighton training side because it’s working with a hospital in a local community,” Ronald Loggins said.  

WSC does not have a nursing program, but many students go on to become nurses.  

“While we don’t have an actual nursing program, we know our students have a need and a desire to move into that profession,” WSC President Marysz Rames said. “This is one more pathway for them which I’m excited. A pathway into the Grand Island area as we continue to see more students recruited out of that area and give an opportunity to, if they would like, return home in a profession they’re passionate about.” 

Rames said she is excited when there are new opportunities for students. 

“There’s a nursing shortage not only in Nebraska but across the country,” Mardell Wilson said, “and we certainly know that training to get as many nurses into the workforce and this partnership with Wayne allows us to focus on specifically the Grand Island area.”  

This program focuses on Grand Island and getting as many nurses in that area as possible. 

Grand Island is part of WSC’s service region, an area the college is supposed to serve.  

“The state colleges including Wayne State has a service region in the state, areas were supposed to serve and Grand island is in our service region,” Rames said. “We’ve been working closely with Grand Island on a lot of initiatives and as I was visiting with leadership there, they brought up the need and shortage of nursing, nurses in the state, which were having everywhere.” 

Another driving factor for this partnership between WSC and Creighton is the cost of creating a nursing program is so high.  

“In terms of creating a nursing program, it can be a really costly endeavor for an individual institution so how might we partner so that students can fulfill their desire to have an undergraduate experience at Wayne,” Wilson said. 

Leadership in Grand Island indicated the nursing shortage and also brought up Creighton in the conversation.  

“They [leadership in Grand Island] asked us if we could find a pathway to support that shortage,” Rames said “They also indicated that Creighton University was a partner in Grand Island with St. Francis CHI Health.” 

Everyone involved in this partnership program is excited.  

“I am excited for several reasons,” Loggins said. “Maybe not all students want to UNMC, and this is another option. I think it’s unique on the Creighton training side that it’s working with a hospital in a local community.”  

Wilson is equally excited for this partnership.  

“We’re extraordinarily excited about the program,” Wilson said. “First of all, it’s just a really good example of our mission in practice, which means how do we get ourselves into the communities.” 

This program is also great because it creates a partnership with Creighton.  

“It’s just an outstanding example of what higher education is all about,” Wilson said.