By Aubrie Waldron
JCOM 1130 Section 3
Nursing and Health Professions is now its own department within the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University. According to an email sent from new department head Travis Peterson to all pre-nursing students, practical and registered nursing programs are projected to be offered beginning Fall of 2016.
Currently nursing courses are offered on campus through Weber State University. Enrollment and scholarships must go through WSU, and only 30 students are accepted into the program each year. When USU expanded to the College of Eastern Utah campus in Price administrators continued the nursing program that was already established there. Nursing courses are also offered at USU's campuses in Vernal and Blanding, but have never been offered in Logan.
Kristen Christensen, a program coordinator at the USU Blanding campus, said the new department was created with the development of nursing programs at the Logan campus in mind.
“We have high hopes that becoming an independent department will accelerate the process of making that happen,” Christensen said.
Annette Dalton, part of the new department's staff, said she does not know why USU has never had it's own nursing program in Logan, but that there has been lots of of excitement and support toward initiating one in the near future.
"It's going to have to start small because we've never done this before," Dalton said. "But once we get going I don't know what would keep us from growing."
Megan Allred, a USU student taking pre-nursing courses, said creating the new department and programs were only a matter of time due to the high demand of nurses. Although she thinks the development will provide good opportunities, she is concerned about the quality of the programs.
Megan Willis, one of Allred's classmates, hopes that USU creating a program independent of WSU will allow more students to be admitted.
"It was one of the highlights of my week when I heard that we were getting our own program," Willis said. "I think it was huge news to lots of students."
JCOM 1130 Section 3
Nursing and Health Professions is now its own department within the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University. According to an email sent from new department head Travis Peterson to all pre-nursing students, practical and registered nursing programs are projected to be offered beginning Fall of 2016.
Currently nursing courses are offered on campus through Weber State University. Enrollment and scholarships must go through WSU, and only 30 students are accepted into the program each year. When USU expanded to the College of Eastern Utah campus in Price administrators continued the nursing program that was already established there. Nursing courses are also offered at USU's campuses in Vernal and Blanding, but have never been offered in Logan.
Kristen Christensen, a program coordinator at the USU Blanding campus, said the new department was created with the development of nursing programs at the Logan campus in mind.
“We have high hopes that becoming an independent department will accelerate the process of making that happen,” Christensen said.
Annette Dalton, part of the new department's staff, said she does not know why USU has never had it's own nursing program in Logan, but that there has been lots of of excitement and support toward initiating one in the near future.
"It's going to have to start small because we've never done this before," Dalton said. "But once we get going I don't know what would keep us from growing."
Megan Allred, a USU student taking pre-nursing courses, said creating the new department and programs were only a matter of time due to the high demand of nurses. Although she thinks the development will provide good opportunities, she is concerned about the quality of the programs.
Megan Willis, one of Allred's classmates, hopes that USU creating a program independent of WSU will allow more students to be admitted.
"It was one of the highlights of my week when I heard that we were getting our own program," Willis said. "I think it was huge news to lots of students."
