BGSU School of Nursing celebrates second cohort of graduates with pinning ceremony

Class represents second bachelor’s-level nurses to be fully BGSU educated

Committed to supporting workforce needs, Bowling Green State University recently honored its second cohort of students graduating with Bachelor of Science in nursing degrees from the BGSU School of Nursing during a pinning ceremony on April 25.  

This year, 56 nursing students are crossing the stage at Spring 2024 Commencement, helping to fill a crucial role in healthcare as the U.S. continues to grapple with nursing shortages.

BGSU established the School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Services in 2020 as a direct response to workforce demands. The program has steadily grown since then, adding a second enrollment in the spring to accommodate high interest.

“BGSU has provided pre-nursing education for more than 50 years, and now we have our own program. It’s very fulfilling to have played a pivotal role in every step of these students’ journeys to becoming registered nurses,” said BGSU School of Nursing Director Dr. Shelly Bussard.

The BSN program modeled its approach to student support after the University’s 100% online RN to BSN program and created an environment where faculty and staff are accessible, compassionate and encouraging.

The program, housed in Central Hall, also added the unique position of an academic success advisor to offer students support in all aspects of life, not exclusively academically.

BGSU provided pre-nursing education for more than 50 years as part of a unique consortium with a nearby partner university and established the School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Services in 2020 as a direct response to nursing shortages in Ohio and across the country.

‘Incredibly prepared’

Maryn Klaus, from Burgoon, a village in Sandusky County, Ohio, is among the second cohort of students graduating with Bachelor of Science in nursing degrees.

After graduation, Klaus will join the emergency department at ProMedica Toledo Hospital. She completed her practicum there and developed a fondness for the unpredictability of emergency rooms.

Klaus said her extensive training at BGSU — from knowledgeable professors to hands-on practice in the University’s state-of-the-art nursing skills lab and simulation center — has prepared her for the high-stress situations she’ll regularly encounter.

“I remember working on a skill in the lab that I had done 100 times before and questioning why I needed to do it again,” Klaus said. “But when you’re in those tense situations where someone’s life is at stake, you need that skill to be muscle memory. That’s why we spend so many hours practicing in the lab.”

Klaus further strengthened her skills through an externship with the Cleveland Clinic, a position she secured after representatives from the world-renowned hospital were invited to campus to speak to nursing students about career opportunities.

Klaus spent 10 weeks last summer in an observation unit at Cleveland Clinic’s Avon Hospital, west of Cleveland.

“That experience was a turning point in my journey as a nursing student,” Klaus said. “I connected so much of what I had learned in class to what I was doing in my externship and came back to BGSU incredibly prepared for my final year in the program.”

Elizabeth Martin, an associate professor in the BGSU School of Nursing, said Klaus has been a model student throughout her time in the program.

“There is a Chinese proverb that states, ‘Teachers can open the door, but you must enter it yourself,’” Martin said. “Maryn excitedly pushed open the door on the first day of nursing school, stepped confidently through and became a beacon for her peers.”

Throughout the program, Klaus said the professors’ expertise and passion for nursing were evident through classes, experiences they shared and connections they built with students.

“BGSU has amazing professors who truly care about us as individuals and want to see us succeed,” Klaus said. “They know us by name, check in on us and are committed to helping us achieve our goals.”