St. Edward's nursing program aims to help with healthcare worker shortage
St. Edward's University celebrated its first group of nursing students with the traditional white coat ceremony. Those students can now enter into clinic patient care.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- St. Edward's University celebrated its first group of nursing students with the traditional white coat ceremony. Those students can now enter into clinic patient care.
This comes at a time when the Texas Workforce Commission expects demand for healthcare jobs to grow faster than all other occupations combined by 2030.
In Austin alone, Workforce Solutions Capital Area counted about 15,000 current healthcare job openings.
'Go out into the Austin community'
Starting in the new year, Elyse Wick will trade in mannequins for real patients. Wick was part of the first-ever cohort of Nursing students at St. Edward’s receiving their white coats at the White Coat Ceremony.
St. Edward's can accept up to 40 students for its traditional program and 20 for the accelerated option. (Photo: KXAN) 
St. Edward's can accept up to 40 students for its traditional program and 20 for the accelerated option. (Photo: KXAN) 
St. Edward's can accept up to 40 students for its traditional program and 20 for the accelerated option. (Photo: Chelsea Purgahn/St. Edward’s University) 
St. Edward's can accept up to 40 students for its traditional program and 20 for the accelerated option. (Photo: Chelsea Purgahn/St. Edward’s University) 
St. Edward's can accept up to 40 students for its traditional program and 20 for the accelerated option. (Photo: Chelsea Purgahn/St. Edward’s University) 
St. Edward's can accept up to 40 students for its traditional program and 20 for the accelerated option. (Photo: Chelsea Purgahn/St. Edward’s University)
"It signified that the faculty felt we're prepared and we have enough of a capability to go out into the Austin community."Elyse Wick, St. Edward's Nursing Student
Wick started her journey at St. Ed's back in 2019.
"I wanted to be in science, biology, health, but getting this second degree, a Bachelor's in Nursing, is really going to open up so many doors," Wick said. "I'm really excited to learn what I can do with both of the degrees, and moving further in my career."
Wick is in the accelerated program and will graduate in 2025. At that point, she'll decide where she wants to pursue her nursing career. Until then, she said she'll enjoy her time before that next step.
"Get our learning in and go hands on right away," Wick said.
'Creates additional seats'
SEU launched its new Department of Nursing this fall. It offers three pathways for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing:
- Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Accelerated Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Assistant Professor of Nursing Dr. Catherine Allen said the university created the program after recognizing a shortage of seats available in nursing programs.
"Every year, nursing programs are turning away hundreds and thousands of qualified nursing applicants because we can't educate them," Allen said. "We can't train them. There's not enough space. There's not enough availability, so St. Edwards steps in and creates additional seats for those qualified applicants to pursue nursing."
Allen noted that local health partners and hospitals offer great opportunities for their students.
"Our clinical partners will usher them in, train them, support them through to graduation," Allen said. "Many of those graduates will stay local and help fill the needs of Central Texas."
Allen also said students can take the first two years of their undergraduate journey to take prerequisite courses and explore internships to decide if nursing is for them.
"When our students do that, they come to campus as pre-nursing. They do their prerequisites, their general education requirements," Allen said. "The second semester of their sophomore year, they apply as traditional BSN students, and then they enter their professional degree program once they're accepted."
St. Edward's can accept up to 40 students for its traditional program and 20 for the accelerated option. Allen said they aren't at capacity yet, but she expects they will be soon.
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