20 January 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Wichita State University released a new rendering of the eight-story building that will house classrooms and labs for WSU and the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Many factors have fueled the shortage of nurses over the years, including burnout, people retiring, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another contributor is the cost of nursing school. Debra Pile, Chair and Associate Dean of Nursing Practice, said this new facility will help bring more students to WSU.
“Having one to meet the needs of pharmacists and nurses physicians, all of those entities involved in the biomedical center is really exciting,” said Pile.
She hopes that the new facility will also help to retain faculty in the medical field.
Another effort is to train more nurses coming from Fort Hays State University, which has partnered with 11 Kansas community colleges. FHSU is guaranteeing admission for community college nursing graduates.
“We make our tours to our community colleges. We really try to emphasize that these courses are not overwhelming. It’s going to be a lot of reflection, a lot of group discussion, and we want to make sure that they don’t feel overwhelmed,” Assistant Department Chair of Nursing Tanya Smith said.
The WSU downtown facility in should be completed by the end of 2026.