Why This National Nurses Week Feels Personal to Me
By Dr. Anmy Mayfield, Vice President and Dean of the College of Nursing at Western Governors University
In the wake of the Vietnam War, while chaos spread across the country, my parents made separate and harrowing journeys from Saigon to the United States. They had never met before eventually finding each other in Centerville, Utah.
Neither of my parents had formal education past primary school. My mother worked at Abbott Laboratories as an assembly worker testing central lines, medical devices that would later help save her life on multiple occasions. My father was a maintenance mechanic at a Safelite AutoGlass factory, a job he got after being mentored in an informal apprenticeship by someone who saw his work ethic as an assembly worker and believed in his potential. Life was not easy, but persistence, hope and education were always the core priorities in our home that propelled our family forward.
Those core values, particularly the importance of education, shaped our lives. My younger brother became a physician in New York. I became a nurse practitioner, and today, I serve as vice president and dean of nursing at Western Governors University.
That is why education is so personal to me. It is why nursing is so close to my heart. And it is why honoring nurses during National Nurses Week matters so much. That is also why what we do at the Leavitt School of Health at WGU is so important at this inflection point in healthcare.
Building Systems to Address the Nursing Shortage
Hospitals across the country face a shortage of nearly 300,000 nurses. To close that gap by 2035, the U.S. needs to train between 25,000 and 30,000 new nurses every year. The challenge is bigger than motivation or goodwill. It requires systems that actually make nursing education accessible.
WGU is contributing at scale. The Leavitt School of Health is one of the largest health education institutions in the country. More than 30,000 students are currently enrolled. We have more than 123,000 alumni.
Those numbers matter. But they do not tell the full story.
Expanding Access Without Sacrificing Quality
The deeper issue is that nursing education is expensive to deliver. Clinical placements, simulation centers, faculty and hands-on training all come at a cost. Even so, WGU’s undergraduate tuition averages about $8,300 per year, roughly 53% below the national average of $17,709. For many students, especially working adults and first-generation college students, that difference matters. It can mean the difference between entering the profession or never getting the chance.
At WGU’s Leavitt School of Health, we have worked hard to keep a high-quality nursing education within reach while much of higher education has become increasingly unaffordable. The reality is that students are investing in more than just a degree. They are investing in long-term stability, mobility and a career that can change the trajectory of an entire family.
Nursing Education Pathways Built for Real Life
Consider the typical WGU student. According to WGU's most recent annual report, 73% come from one or more underserved populations. Forty-two percent are first-generation college students. Seventy-five percent work while enrolled. The median student age is 33. These are not traditional students living in dorms with unlimited time. They are adults balancing jobs, children, aging parents and real financial pressure while trying to build a better future.
That is why WGU launched the Reinvesting in Nursing Education and Workforce (ReNEW) Fund. The ReNEW Fund is a $100 million initiative developed in partnership with Social Finance. The fund provides zero-interest, outcomes-based loans to prelicensure BSN students covering the final two years of the program, including labs and clinicals. If a graduate is hired and retained by a partner employer, that employer pays into the fund for up to three years, satisfying the loan obligation. Those repayments then support the next generation of students.
Beyond the prelicensure BSN program offered in 25 states, WGU offers more than 20 competency-based nursing and health programs across all 50 states. That includes the RN-to-BSN, MSN tracks in leadership and management, education, and informatics. We also offer FNP and PMHNP tracks in 45 states, plus post-master's certificates and professional development credentials. The Leavitt School of Health is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and recognized as a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence, a distinction held by only 1% of nursing programs in the country. We operate clinical learning and simulation centers in Houston, Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Indianapolis and Orlando.
A Tribute to Current and Future Nurses
As I think about the journey of current and aspiring nurses, I keep coming back to my own family’s story and the sacrifices my parents made to build a life in this country. That is why I relate so deeply to nurses and nursing students who work tirelessly, often sacrificing so much of themselves to care for others.
To every nurse working this week, and to every student working toward that goal, this is for you. May your work be seen, and may your path forward be clear.
