Accelerating Care
Westminster’s new year-round nursing program is shaping tomorrow’s healthcare leaders faster than ever
By Allyson Austin
Starting in Fall 2025, students admitted to Westminster’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program will attend classes year-round, allowing them to finish their undergraduate degrees sooner.
Nursing program administrators say this change is largely motivated by the national shortage of nurses and healthcare workers. By shifting to a year-round program, nursing students will finish their four-semester nursing curriculum several months sooner, allowing them to move more quickly into careers that will impact their communities.
Jon Worthen, associate professor of nursing and health sciences, explains that the new format will accelerate the school’s ability to help students start professions that are meaningful to them.
“We care about each one of our students,” says Worthen. “We want to see them start a career, not just go out and get a job somewhere. We prepare them to think about where they want to go and what they want to do, and we help them join excellent departments where they can establish their professional selves.”
Even with the growing need for a larger workforce, quantity cannot replace quality in the healthcare field. Westminster remains committed to training highly qualified nurses who are prepared—through top-notch faculty instruction and hours of practical experience—to provide the best care to their patients.
Betsy Girth (’20) graduated from Westminster with a BSN during the pandemic. Though there were challenges with completing her degree remotely, Girth says she felt supported by Westminster the whole time.
“I loved Westminster. I think it’s such an awesome community,” she says. “Nursing is a hard program: you’re learning so much in a short time, so you need that support from your classmates and your professors. I definitely believe I was as well-prepared as I could be to start my career.”
Enthusiastic, qualified nurses help bolster the hospitals and clinics where they work, impacting patient outcomes and overall community health. Beth Ann Friel, MSN, RN, is an adjunct professor who has been involved in supervising students in clinical placements and currently helps students master nursing skills.
“I love being with the students as they’re learning,” she says. “Seeing their confidence build as nursing professionals is really fun. They start to realize that they have a bigger purpose.”
According to Beth Ann, many healthcare leaders who had Westminster students on their units commented on how prepared and forward-thinking they were.
“Westminster students always seem to go in and have a plan,” she says. “They have a clear vision of what they’re there for and what they’re going to accomplish.”
Jon echoes this sentiment. “We have clinical partners who love our students and are requesting them because they know how well-prepared they are,” he says. “Although our students come out with a degree as a nurse generalist, our nurses are the ones who turn out to be leaders.”
Westminster’s mission is to remain a preeminent provider of healthcare professionals in the state of Utah and the nation. Sheryl Steadman, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, says the school is always looking to the future as the faculty prepare excellent healthcare professionals.
“We’re continuing to evaluate the healthcare needs of both the community and the nation,” Sheryl says. “We’ll continue to revise our programs and create more opportunities for Westminster students to jump into the community as leaders.”
Now, with several years as a nurse under her belt, Betsy recommends the Westminster program to anyone looking to make a difference in the healthcare field.
“I would never change my experience,” she says. “I’ve learned so much over the years, and it’s made me who I am today.”
About the Westminster Review
The Westminster Review is Westminster University’s bi-annual alumni magazine that is distributed to alumni and community members. Each issue aims to keep alumni updated on campus current events and highlights the accomplishments of current students, professors, and Westminster alum.
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