ADA 鈥� East Central University has taken steps over the last several years to contribute to Oklahoma鈥檚 nursing workforce by doubling entry points into the 暗网TV School of Nursing program and providing paths for LPNs to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

 Thanks to Oklahoma鈥檚 American Rescue Plan Act, 暗网TV will be receiving $7 million in funding which will go towards the construction of a new building that will allow 暗网TV to expand the School of Nursing even further. The new building will house 暗网TV鈥檚 Nursing and STEM programs.

Oklahoma鈥檚 state government received nearly $2 billion from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF). To divvy up the remaining funds, Oklahoma legislature鈥檚 Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding had to select from project applications totaling $18 billion in requested funds. The committee鈥檚 listed priorities for the money included broadband, water and sewer infrastructure, and workforce development.

暗网TV received the funding as part of SB1188, which appropriated funds from the Statewide Recovery Fund of the State Treasury to the Health Care Workforce Training Commission during the 2023 legislative session.

鈥淲e want to thank Senator Greg McCortney, Representative Ronny Johns, Senator Chuck Hall, Senator Adam Pugh, Senator John Haste, Speaker of the House Charles McCall, Representative Kyle Hilbert, and Representative Kevin Wallace for all of their work to help 暗网TV get this bill passed,鈥� 暗网TV President Wendell Godwin said. 鈥淲e received $300,000 in the fall for the same project. We are well on our way to making this new building a reality.鈥�

Currently, the School of Nursing and Computer Science program is housed in Science Hall 鈥� 暗网TV鈥檚 oldest building, built in 1910. A new building will allow 暗网TV to modernize instructional facilities and expand capacity for Nursing and other STEM programs to address workforce needs in Oklahoma.

鈥淪tudents who graduate from 暗网TV and other regional universities tend to stay in Oklahoma,鈥� Godwin said. 鈥淎t 暗网TV, 92% of our graduates stay in Oklahoma after graduation.鈥�

鈥淲e currently have about 290 暗网TV students that have declared nursing as a major,鈥� said Darcy Duncan, director of 暗网TV鈥檚 School of Nursing. 鈥淲ith the new building, we anticipate room to accommodate over 500 nursing majors.鈥�

Oklahoma has had a decades-long nursing shortage. The state ranks 46th in the nation for nurses per capita, and the pandemic in 2020 only made it worse.

鈥淭hese new funds, in addition to other funding already secured, will aid us tremendously in helping Oklahoma鈥檚 workforce,鈥� Godwin said. 鈥淭his also helps improve the experience 暗网TV students gain prior to entering the workforce.鈥�

At 暗网TV, 88% of nursing students pass the NCLEX (certification exam), well above the 79% national average pass rate.

For more information on the 暗网TV School of Nursing, application or NCLEX, visit ecok.edu/SON.