Citing a growing need for nurses—especially in rural Kansas—the University of Kansas School of Nursing is expanding to Salina.
If nurses are trained in a rural area, they’re more likely to work in a rural area. Sally Maliski, Dean of the KU School of Nursing, says that’s the idea behind the Salina campus.
“Well, it provides an opportunity to get a high-quality education in their home areas, thereby being more likely to stay in those rural areas to practice,” Maliski says.
KU plans to accept 12 nursing students in Salina this fall and ramp up over the next five years to a total enrollment of 48 students.
The new campus, a partnership with the Salina Regional Health Center and housed at KU Medical School, will offer the bachelor’s in nursing via distance learning. The students in Salina will link up with KU’s Kansas City campus for their classes.