A New UI Degree Helps Address the Nation's Nursing Shortage

PHOTO: REBECCA F. MILLER/UI COLLEGE OF NURSING Whitney Peitzman, who used to teach high school science, is enrolled in the UI’s MSN Entry into Practice program to help make a career change into nursing.

Former high school science teacher Whitney Leverich Peitzman (10BS) envied her students’ excitement as they looked ahead to their future careers.

“Teaching anatomy, an upper-level science course, meant my students usually had a sense of what they wanted to do after high school—a vet, a nurse, or a doctor,” says Peitzman, who most recently taught in Ankeny, Iowa. “To me, that sounded fun, and I was jealous of the new adventures they were taking. I’ve always wanted to find a way to apply the knowledge I’ve gained over the past couple of decades.”

Then Peitzman discovered a new program that launched in January at the University of Iowa College of Nursing. The accelerated Master of Science in Nursing: Entry into Practice program—which only requires a bachelor’s degree in any subject—prepares students to enter the nursing workforce in just 20 months through coursework, 100 hours of clinical simulation labs, and 760 clinical hours. Upon graduation, students are eligible to take the nursing licensure exam and become a registered nurse.

PHOTO: REBECCA F. MILLER/UI COLLEGE OF NURSING MSN Entry into Practice students participate in a simulation with lifelike patients this summer at the Nursing Clinical Education Center at UI Hospitals & Clinics.

The first-of-its-kind program in the Hawkeye State is a direct response to the growing need for nurses in Iowa. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the profession will see a 9% increase in the need for nurses around the country by 2030 because of looming retirements and professional burnout.

“We recognized that we wanted to help increase the number of nurses in the state,” says Sarah McVeigh, the director of the MSN Entry into Practice program. “By offering a direct route to a Master of Science in Nursing degree, the program recognizes and values the expertise and qualifications that students bring from their previous professions and degrees.”

The first cohort of 15 individuals includes former educators and paramedics, as well as students who previously majored in political science and health and human physiology. The UI aims to welcome 48 students into the next cohort in spring 2024.

For Peitzman, the program has been a rewarding change of course. “I’ve always liked to learn, so being back in the classroom has been fun. The struggle is juggling home and school life,” says Peitzman, who has a 5-year-old daughter at home and is expecting her second child in November. “Everyone has been so supportive, though.”

Learn more about the UI’s MSN Entry into Practice program.