ISU, CSI partner to help fill statewide nursing shortage
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The following is a news release from Idaho State University. Photo: Twin Falls area students in Idaho State University’s accelerated nursing program pose with Leanna Hanson, CSI nursing faculty, during their classroom work at College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
TWIN FALLS –– Idaho State University and College of Southern Idaho have partnered, along with St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center, in an effort to address the ongoing critical nursing shortage across Idaho.
This partnership allows Idaho students completing ISU’s accelerated bachelor of nursing (ABSN) program to complete their required clinical experiences at St. Luke’s Magic Valley, along with other local facilities, and classroom instruction at CSI facilities in Twin Falls. Ten Twin Falls area students began the 12-month program in May during the partnership’s first year, with intentions to grow to meet additional demand. The program is rigorous, but with the growing nursing shortage, it will help boost the number of nurses caring for Idaho residents.
The collaboration addresses a need across the state and the nation for baccalaureate degree trained nurses (BSN), who are in high demand across the health care system.
Employers across Idaho’s rural areas have experienced difficulty filling vacant positions because of significant nursing shortages in the state, and in the nation. Temporary, traveling nurses have been increasingly hired to fill nursing shortages in Idaho.
A 2022 report compiled by the Idaho Nursing Workforce Center at the Idaho Center for Nursing shows Idaho’s shortage of RN’s exceeds 2,000 positions. Idaho’s nursing profession also faces retirements of a large number of the incumbent workforce. Currently, 29 percent of Idaho’s nurses are 55 years or older, and three percent of those are 65 years or older.
There is an ever-increasing population of older adults also. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 10,000 people turn 65 years old every day nationally. Data from the Idaho Division of Financial Management in 2024 shows that 18% of Idaho’s population is over 65 years old, a 50 percent increase since 1990. These increases continue to boost demand for compassionate and caring nursing care.
ISU’s ABSN program currently offers up to 50 seats a year for students in the Treasure Valley/Meridian area and 40 seats a year to students in the Pocatello/Idaho Falls region, with local clinical experiences available in these areas, as well. An additional 10 seats per year are available in Coeur d’Alene, through a similar collaboration with Kootenai Health. Following completion of prerequisite courses, students who have a bachelor’s degree in another discipline are eligible to enter the ABSN program, receiving accelerated education and training to become a nurse.
Increasing enrollment in nursing programs is a key strategy to address the issue. The ABSN program at ISU offers the opportunity for individuals to enter the nursing profession while remaining in their local community.
“Collaboration between institutions of higher education is a key component of meeting workforce demands, and we are pleased to be expanding our efforts with Idaho State University to address the critical need for nurses in Idaho,” said CSI President L. Dean Fisher in praising the expanded program.
The ABSN program at ISU started serving students in Meridian in 2002, and has grown to meet increasing demand in the Treasure Valley. Over 550 students have graduated from the program since its inception, many of whom remained in the area, helping to fill part of the shortage for nurses.
Arlen Blaylock, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer for St. Luke’s Magic Valley says this unique model of nurse education will benefit more than just the students.
“This innovative approach leverages the proven success of ISU and CSI’s nursing programs to provide a new path for Magic Valley community members who wish to transition into health care. St. Luke’s is honored to work collaboratively with quality educational institutions to support a comprehensive clinical curriculum, ensuring that local students are fully prepared to join the nursing workforce.”
St. Luke’s Magic Valley’s history goes back to its opening in 1918 as Twin Falls County Hospital. Today it is a state-of-the-art medical center and a vital resource to many nearby communities, providing a full range of inpatient and outpatient services to the people of Twin Falls, Southern Idaho and Northern Nevada.
To learn more about the ABSN program and ISU’s partnership with CSI and St. Luke’s, visit https://www.isu.edu/nursing/programs/accelerated-bachelor-of-science-in-nursing/