SAINT PAUL, Minn. — At the University of St. Thomas, the Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing celebrated its first-ever graduating class.
“We are very proud of our students, their problem-solving abilities and their clinical judgement,” program Executive Director and professor Annette Hines says.
This class of 37 master’s students marks a new chapter at the University of St. Thomas.
Hines says this class is unique because the 37 students address serious needs in the profession.
“We feel like we are filling a need. We’re chipping away at the problem,” Hines says.
The problem Hines is referring to is the ongoing shortage of nurses across the country, along with a significant lack of diversity in the profession.
According to the Minnesota Board of Nursing, around 10% of Minnesota nurses are men.
“Whereas, out of our cohort that we just graduated, 18% were male,” Hines says.
And it’s not just men.
Hines says the nursing profession also lacks diversity in other ways.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 91% of Minnesota nurses are white.
Enrollment numbers from the University of St. Thomas show around 67.5% of their first class is white.
Hines says many of their nursing students also grew up in rural communities, which is another underrepresented group in nursing.
"There are unique needs for people who live in rural areas, and they are definitely underserved."
Roy Palmer was among the 37 students who graduated on Sunday.
He applauds the university’s efforts to bring new perspectives to the nursing profession.
“We need and should encourage more men to get into health care. For me personally, it wasn’t a hinderance; it wasn’t a barrier. It wasn’t even that much of a consideration for me,” Palmer says.
The nursing program has also grown significantly since the school officially started two years ago.
Hines says the school recently added a bachelor’s program that will complement its master’s program.
She says more than 200 students are currently enrolled in nursing programs at the university.
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