BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – A new campus of the West Virginia School of Nursing is under construction at the United Hospital Center in Bridgeport. The school will provide new opportunities for students sitting on wait lists across the state.
Dr. Tara Hulsey, vice president of Health Promotion and Wellness and dean of the WVU School of Nursing acknowledges the national nurse shortage and points to their own wait list for students as proof.
“They were able to expand the building and add a floor for a campus- the School of Nursing,” Hulsey said,” It is absolutely perfect, because I have a waiting list of second degree students who want to get into nursing.”
UHC president and CEO, Mike Tillman is pleased with the arrangement and believes the relationship will enrich both institutions, students and patients that use the facility.
“The school will actually rent the building from United Hospital Center for a nominal fee,” Tillman said,” And the hospital will maintain the facility.”
The nursing school will be set up in 5,000 square feet on the fifth floor of the newly constructed East Wing at UHC, which will total more than 40,000 square feet at a total cost of $23 million. The space will include two classrooms, a skills lab, conference rooms, a student lounge and offices.
The additional 22 nursing slots a year created by the school will prevent some students from pursuing another major or even waiting until a program has an available spot.
“There are some schools of nursing that have qualified candidates that can’t get it,” Tillman said,” This facility expands the capability of education systems to prepare nurses in West Virginia.”
The new campus is the fifth location in the state that provides WVU School of Nursing programs. An accelerated Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts to Bachelor of Science in Nursing will seat the first class in the spring of 2023.
“I’m going to be doing scholarships that are specifically targeted to students who will agree to stay within our state for two to three years,” Hulsey said,” So, we’re trying to build the workforce for the state.”
Of course, one of those possible future employers could be UHC. Tillman says nurses trained in the program would likely be very good professionals to hire after graduation.
“Nurses that train in one hospital and become familiar with their systems and procedures always helps,” Tillman said.
The WVU School of Nursing Project is part of a $1 million capital campaign at United Hospital Center.