POCATELLO — Idaho State University's nursing program is celebrating 70 years of providing critical training to nursing students later this month.

The celebration will be held Saturday, Sept. 26, where the School of Nursing will recognize its past accomplishments while embracing the future, according to a news release from ISU.

The original nursing class of 1956 only had seven students. This year, there are more than 5,000 nursing alumni across graduate and undergraduate levels. The nursing program currently enrolls 90 traditional and 100 accelerated students each year.

There was a time when nurses were not allowed to take a patient's blood pressure or use a stethoscope. Now, nurses perform a variety of specialized care and are at the forefront of patient care.

Teresa J. Stanfill, executive director of the Idaho Center for Nursing, said in the news release that ISU has been a cornerstone of nursing education in the state of Idaho for 70 years. She said one of the program's greatest strengths is its ability to adapt to the changing needs of health care organizations.

"The graduates who have come through ISU's programs haven't just filled positions in our hospitals and clinics; they have shaped the profession itself, stepping into roles as educators, leaders and advocates who strengthen the workforce for generations to come," Stanfill said in the news release.

Idaho has one of the lowest nurse-to-patient ratios in the country. ISU is responding to this shortage by offering comprehensive nursing education focused on rural settings and improvement of health outcomes through all stages of life. The faculty in the nursing program are dedicated to fulfilling this mission.

"We got to know each of our students individually. It wasn't just one person teaching and then a different person in clinical. Frequently, we did both those jobs so there was continuity for the students," retired professor emeritus Grace Jacobson said in the news release.

Another way ISU is addressing the nursing shortage is by offering stackable certification and degree programs that meet students where they are in their education. ISU also offers an accelerated nursing undergraduate degree that allows individuals with bachelor's degrees to earn their nursing degrees in one year.

Melody Weaver, an interim coordinator and clinical associate professor, said in the news release that the heart of ISU's nursing program is caring for patients, and that hasn't changed throughout its history.

"The foundation of nursing, that is present from 1956 to today, is presence," Weaver said in the news release. "It is being present. All the transitions in life, nurses are present for them."

Randy Hudspeth, an ISU alumnus, said in the news release that his education at ISU prepared him for his career of service.

"ISU provided a very good education and prepared me to be a practicing clinical nurse," Hudspeth said in the news release. "I would encourage people to go into the field because you can choose any avenue, your nursing degree and license open a lot of doors."

Hudspeth's education with ISU led to two graduate degrees and a successful career. It left him with the opportunity to serve as the chairman of the Idaho Board of Nursing and as clinical director of nursing at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise.

ISU still hopes to take the nursing program even further by expanding to the Idaho Falls campus. It also hopes to create a pathway for paramedics to pursue nursing and develop master's degree options to address the need for nursing educators.

A recent accomplishment is that the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice recently completed its inaugural year as the first Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program in Idaho. It will have its first graduates in 2028.