YAKIMA, Wash. – Washington State University (WSU) nursing students in Yakima are facing a tough decision: commute an extra 15 hours a week or change their major entirely. This ultimatum comes after WSU announced a significant change to its Yakima nursing program.
Students shared their experiences and concerns over the decision that requires them to relocate to Tri-Cities or Spokane to continue their education.
“We were four weeks into starting our first semester of nursing school when we received an email,” said Erin Ringer. “It stated that due to funding, our campus was being defunded and we had to relocate to Tri-Cities or Spokane, and we had a week to decide.”
The students, part of a two-year program, were caught off guard by the change. They feel stuck and frustrated by the lack of options.
“We found out four weeks into the semester of two years that we’re now basically stuck,” said Ringer. “I’ve been told multiple times that because we’re already in an accredited program, we can’t drop out and join a different nursing program.”
WSU released a statement explaining their decision. “This difficult decision reflects our commitment to strengthening the region’s nursing workforce while being responsible stewards of limited resources. By focusing our efforts, we are safeguarding the long-term excellence of WSU’s nursing program, the largest producer of registered nurses in Washington,” the statement read.
Students expressed concern about the impact on the Yakima community, which already faces a shortage of nurses.
“Hearing that the nurses are being taken away in a place that already so desperately needs them… we’re already lacking nurses here,” said Ringer.
Students like Gilberto Partida are proud to live in Yakima and want to contribute to the community. Partida’s personal experience with the healthcare system in Yakima inspired him to pursue nursing.
“Four years ago, I had a stroke. So being in the hospital and seeing what the nurses did to make me feel comfortable in the uncomfortable situation, that’s what made me want to pursue nursing and then also give back to the community and be at the same hospital that helped me,” Partida said.
Partida plans to continue his education in Tri-Cities and return to work in Yakima, but he is uncertain how many others will do the same.
“I’m going to lose about three hours of studying a day. 15 hours a week. I paid for tuition out of my own pocket, so now I have to fight on my pay for gas, car maintenance,” Partida said. “Being here walking the halls while there’s these posters saying your voice matters. But we didn’t have a say in this. So how does our voice matter?”
WSU’s proposal is set to take effect at the end of the spring semester. For students who just started the program, this means potentially commuting for a year and a half to continue their education.
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