Thirty-One Students Receive Nursing Degrees at Western

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Bottom left to right: Mavis Klah (Rock Springs), Krindell Shepard (Rock Springs), Amy Wille* (Rock Springs); Brittney Pace (Evanston), Jennifer Cole* (Evanston), Marianna Tolhurst (RS), Taryn Duke (GR), Elizabeth Crockett*(RS), Amanda Martin (EV), Ashley Coombs * (RS), Christine Smith* (GR).

ROCK SPRINGS — The Associate Degree Nursing Program at Western Wyoming Community College graduated thirty one students on May 19th, 2017.  Twelve of the thirty-one graduated with a 3.8 GPA or above (Graduate of Distinction), and Western’s Outstanding Graduate, Macayla Arrington, was in this nursing class. This class of students had an 85% completion rate, this far exceeds the expectation and the completion rates of other classes.  Many of these students plan to complete their bachelor’s degrees in the next 6 months to 3 years.

These graduates come from all ends of the Western service area; including Afton, Evanston, Lyman, Kemmerer, Rawlins and Jackson as well as Sweetwater County.  Western is able to provide nursing education to our distant students with the use of synchronous web conferencing.  Distant students have the same amount of time with instructors as the classroom students have, but have the advantage of being able to stay in the home communities for the didactic learning.  They travel to Rock Springs, Rawlins or Evanston for lab and clinical experiences.

As all Western Nursing Graduates, these students have excellent employment opportunities in their home community.  Western’s placement rates for those students who want a job in nursing has been 100% for many years.  Each student must take a national test to practice as a registered nurse, our pass rates on this exam exceed state and national averages.

Western’s Nursing program is a rigorous and innovative using evidence based learning strategies.  In conjunction with the other community colleges and the University of Wyoming we have finished our first year of a new curriculum.  For the first time, Wyoming’s Community Colleges and UW have common course outcomes.  This new curriculum will allow students to begin their education at a community college and complete a bachelor’s degree in four years from the University of Wyoming without leaving their home community.

For more information on Western’s program see our website. https://www.westernwyoming.edu/academics/nursing/

Picture caption: bottom left to right: Mavis Klah (Rock Springs), Krindell Shepard (Rock Springs), Amy Wille* (Rock Springs); Brittney Pace (Evanston), Jennifer Cole* (Evanston), Marianna Tolhurst (RS), Taryn Duke (GR), Elizabeth Crockett*(RS), Amanda Martin (EV), Ashley Coombs * (RS), Christine Smith* (GR).