The Class of 2025 will be the first to graduate with bachelor's degrees in nursing and health professions after completing four years in the DCIH facility on the university’s Health Campus along Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile.
GVSU President Philomena Mantella says it’s about working from the outside in to meet community needs.
“So the fact there is a greater need for healthcare providers, a greater need for nurses, we want to respond to that, so we’ve been growing our program.”
At Michigan's largest state-of-the-art simulation center, students learn from a model promoting collaboration among various professionals, a model proven to improve patient outcomes.
Lead donor Pamella Devos had a message for those student nurses.
“You are coming to the job market with confidence and knowledge. You are graduating well-positioned to meet the demands of the industry.”
Public-private partnerships include the Corewell Health West Nurse Scholars program which is investing more than $19 million over six years creating opportunities for 500 students pursuing a GVSU nursing degree. One of those scholars is Raschard France who says it’s beneficial the center is across the street from Corewell Health for clinical practices that can lead to jobs after graduation.
“We have an intimate relationship with the folks at Corewell so there’s a real nurturing aspect of them helping build our careers with us.”
40-50% of GVSU’s nursing and healthcare alumni do go on to work in West Michigan, making a significant impact on the region’s talent pipeline.
