A new partnership between South Dakota State University, Black Hills State University and Monument Health has created the West River Health Science Center to address the significant nursing shortage expected in the state within the next few years. This initiative will consolidate all nursing education at one Rapid City site, creating a seamless pathway for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the SDSU College of Nursing.
Senate Bill 43, signed by the governor in March 2022, authorized the renovation and construction of an addition to the West River center at BHSU’s Rapid City site. The addition, expected to be completed in 2025, will include increased classroom space and a simulation center, skills laboratories and support facilities. When the center is finished, enrollment capacity is expected to increase from 72 to 120 students per semester.
The new site will also house SDSU’s Native American Nursing Education Center, which has long provided wraparound services in a nurturing environment for students in the College of Nursing.
Students can now work simultaneously with a BHSU adviser for their Health Science associate degree and an SDSU adviser to prepare them for the Nursing program. Students graduating with a BHSU Applied Health Science associate degree who are interested in a career in nursing are guaranteed acceptance to the College of Nursing.
“This is a game-changer for us and for nursing education in Rapid City,” said Mary Anne Krogh, dean of the College of Nursing. “It’s an incredibly seamless transition for students wanting to pursue their entire college degree in the Black Hills. The partnership, which saves the students time and money, also helps address and strengthen our future nursing and healthcare workforce needs throughout the region.
“Before the collaboration, the College of Nursing had no way of knowing how many students were in the pipeline to pursue a four-year degree at our Rapid City site and it made it difficult for planning,” explained Krogh. “Now, being under the same roof, we are a one-stop shop for tutoring, student services and advising. The partnership allows us to think more strategically about how we might recruit the next generation of nursing students and take care of the health of western South Dakota.”
Students can earn their associate degrees at the BHSU campuses in Spearfish and Rapid City or online before transitioning to the SDSU program. The partners are also reaching out to the next generation of nurses through summer camps and one-day classes for middle school, high school and college-age students each year, further fostering interest in the programs.
“We are the only partnership in the state with such a clear pathway to a career in nursing,” said Samantha Smith, academic coordinator for the West River Health Science Center.
“Now through our collaboration, we have strengthened our partnerships with area hospitals where students can do their clinicals, become familiar and establish local relationships with these facilities and, ultimately, have a career here.”
For more information about SDSU Nursing in Rapid City, please visit sdstate.edu/nursing and make an appointment with our professional advising team.
