A serious shortage of registered nurses impacts everyone seeking care in hospitals, clinics, schools and other health care facilities, requiring local providers to rely on traveling nurses or leave positions vacant. That’s why Saint Martin’s University is answering the call to fix this urgent problem by expanding the best nursing program in Olympia.
“Thanks to generous philanthropy, we’ve grown our nursing program to graduate nearly 200 bachelor-prepared nurses into the regional workforce — a milestone made possible by the resources to add additional nursing labs and classrooms,” says Nate Peters, vice president of marketing and communications and interim vice president of institutional advancement. “This expansion comes at a critical time as Washington State faces a growing nursing shortage.”
State approval for Saint Martin’s University to admit more nursing students, coupled with recently enhanced teaching facilities and newly raised funds for scholarships, means the University is the natural choice for students seeking an excellent local degree program that has a deep commitment to service. And given the University’s multi-tracked Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and its 2024-2025 Nursing College of Distinction national honor, prospective nursing students can rest assured that Saint Martin’s offers a quality degree path that will fit their needs.
“The Saint Martin’s University nursing program provides great support for nursing students to grow and discover where their passion lies within the nursing profession,” says Alyssa Gaskill, class of ’24 nursing alum.
“Saint Martin’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates are ‘nurses with heart,’” adds recently retired Director of Nursing Terri Woo, a position now held by Judith McKenna. “They are Saints nurses who carry the university values into their professional nursing practice.”
State Approves Increased Nursing Student Cohort Slots in Saint Martin’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
Saint Martin’s offers three paths to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The first is a traditional track for students who are not currently nurses. Two other tracks are designed for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) who want to work while obtaining their degree.
This highly sought-after program at Saint Martin’s has a waiting list. To help meet the demand, the state approved increasing the school’s cohort sizes to 36 students twice a year for the traditional track, and to 24 students once a year in the LPN-to-BSN path. “The additional slots will increase opportunities for students to attend Saint Martin’s to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing,” says Woo. “While the didactic classes might be slightly larger, the lab and clinical courses will remain small so students can get to know their faculty in a small setting and have their full support while learning.”
Graduates agree that the University provides a supportive environment to learn nursing. “Nursing school is challenging and a lot of hard work, but the Saint Martin’s nursing program was an experience that offered not only the knowledge and skills needed to become a great nurse but also provided me with wonderful clinical experiences and friendships through my cohort,” says Gaskill.
Nursing Students Enjoy Multiple Benefits at Local Saint Martin’s University’s Bachelor’s Degree Program in Lacey
The nursing program at Saint Martin’s is designed to conveniently serve local students, eliminating the need to commute to programs in Tacoma or Seattle. Additionally, the University has fostered a supportive learning community in the dorms specifically for nursing and exercise science majors, allowing students to live and collaborate with like-minded peers. The program is also expanding with the addition of a lactation certificate option. In contrast to many other universities, Saint Martin’s allows nursing students to participate in college athletics.
Murinda McCuller graduated in 2023 in the LPN-to-BSN track. Now a school nurse who is also studying for a master’s degree, she says that track was perfect because she could obtain the degree while working locally as a licensed practical nurse. “It was a blessing,” she says. “I absolutely loved the program. My other classmates and I became a family. We formed bonds.”
Grants and Donations Enhance Olympia Area Nursing Program’s Classrooms and Equipment at Saint Martin’s University
The nursing program delivers other benefits thanks to the public and private donations funding recent nursing facilities’ renovations and expansions. The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust awarded a $296,000 grant to add a classroom and augment the labs. The Washington State Achievement Council awarded a $105,231 grant for supplies, training and equipment to expand simulation learning and increase cohort sizes.
Many generous private donations also supported the classroom renovations and expanded the scholarships available to nursing students. Thanks to these expanded scholarships and investments in state-of-the-art nursing equipment, nursing degrees are now within reach for more students. These students can be confident that they are receiving the most advanced, hands-on training available, empowering them to succeed in the ever-evolving healthcare field.
Gaskill says her nursing dream came true when Saint Martin’s offered her a spot and financial help. Plus, the enhanced facilities impacted her decision. “I initially enrolled in Saint Martin’s University because I was fascinated by the new and upcoming nursing classrooms that were being built for the students,” she explains. “I was offered a tour of the building and fell in love with the campus and knew it was a nursing program I wanted to apply for.”
To learn more about the best nursing program in the Olympia area at Saint Martin’s University, visit the nursing program’s website.
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