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St. Martin’s University to offer new nursing program

New four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to begin in fall of 2019

The new director of nursing at St. Martin’s University, Teri Moser Woo, will oversee the implementation of a new four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Photo credit: JCPenney Photo Studio

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In the fall of 2019, St. Martin's University (SMU) will offer a brand new four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in addition to its one-year Registered Nurse (RN) to BSN program.

"We are excited about creating a pre-licensure BSN program at Saint Martin's," said Teri Moser Woo, Director of Nursing at SMU. "The program will serve a critical need for nurses locally." Woo goes on to explain, "We will have two entry points into the nursing program: first year freshman students, and upper division transfer students.  The upper division nursing program will be two academic years, and will include 650 clinical practicum hours and 480 hours of lab and simulation training in new state-of-the art learning labs. Graduates will be well prepared to take care of patients across the care continuum in the complex healthcare environment." The school plans to admit up to 25 freshman students in the fall of 2019. They hope to begin admitting upper division transfer students in the fall of 2020.

Like the current RN to BSN program, the four-year BSN program is in response to Washington state's official goal for 80 percent of all nurses statewide to possess a BSN degree or higher. Since its inception in 2010, SMU's RN to BSN program has graduated more than 80 students. In June 2018, Woo, who has more than 30 years experience in nursing and educational leadership, was appointed to increase enrollment in the RN to BSN program and to head up the four-year BSN program.

The vision of a four-year BSN program began to become a reality this past summer with the acquisition of gently used equipment purchased at auction from St. Gregory University's now defunct nursing program in Shawnee, Oklahoma. SMU was able to purchase like-new baby cribs and baby warmers, hospital beds, IV equipment, teaching models and more.

With a campus located in Lacey and a satellite campus on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, SMU prides itself in helping to provide educational opportunities for veterans and their spouses.

"Saint Martin's is a military friendly, diverse campus, and our nursing program will reflect these values," says Woo. "Our current RN to BSN program has both military spouses and veterans enrolled as students, and we anticipate that military dependents and veterans will be interested in our traditional BSN program also." Woo continues, "Saint Martin's is a Yellow Ribbon school and does not cap how many students can participate in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program). Students using the Yellow Ribbon program have tuition and fees covered at 100 percent. Saint Martin's also offers generous merit scholarships to all students with a goal to keep the cost of earning a degree affordable."

Readers interested in learning more about St. Martin's University and their one- and/or four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, should visit their website at stmartin.edu or contact them by phone at 360.491.4700.

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