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STILLWATER — Coming amid an ongoing nursing shortage, officials are hopeful that a new degree program will be just what the doctor — and state leaders — ordered.

Oklahoma State University on Monday officially held the first classes for its new four-year bachelor of science in nursing degree program, with 29 students making up the inaugural cohort.

“It is tremendously exciting to be able to have this opportunity to initiate this program and really address some of the critical needs of our state,” said Jon Pedersen, dean of OSU’s College of Education and Human Sciences. “Nurses play such a critical role, as we saw during the pandemic and certainly as we’ve experienced post-pandemic, especially in rural areas.”

The program, he added, is specifically intended to better serve the state’s underserved and rural areas, as well as to promote prevention and wellness practices.

OSU continues to offer an online BSN degree-completion program for current registered nurses. Pedersen said that program has almost 160 freshmen this semester.

The new in-person program is based on the Stillwater campus, but OSU’s Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa has a role to play, with many of the students expected to do their rotations in Tulsa.

Pedersen said the hope is to expand the number of students to 50 by next fall and keep growing as facilities and faculty resources allow.

Meanwhile, a pair of Tulsans are helping ensure that more students are able to participate in the program in the future. OSU alums John and Cheryl Clerico recently donated $1 million, matching another million raised as part of a challenge grant. The $2 million will help fund nursing scholarships.

John Clerico said that because he serves on the board of Community Health Systems he knew about the national need for nurses. He wants OSU’s efforts to help on the state level.

He said he was reminded recently of why that effort is important. Following recent heart surgery, he was in intensive care for weeks.

“During that time, I got to know about 25 to 30 nurses. They were all great, right down to the smiles. I came away extremely impressed with their capability,” he said.

“When you are in intensive care, the nurses stay busy. And you are dependent on them. You can’t do anything for yourself.”

The experience affirmed for him how critical nurses are, he said, and “fortified my desire” to support efforts to produce more.

He and his wife are hopeful that the $2 million will do that.

The state ranks 46th among states for the number of RNs per capita.

Gov. Kevin Stitt has identified nursing as one of the key career fields in which he’s challenging the state’s colleges to produce more students.

Pedersen said OSU leaders have shown strong interest in and support for the new program.

“As I have conversations with the president and the provost, they’re very responsive and understand the need for nurses today,” he said. “They were willing to go to bat to help make this happen and support us in our goals of really expanding our health care options within our college.”

For more information, go to go.okstate.edu/undergraduate-academics/majors/nursing.html.

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