Saint Luke’s Celebrates 30 Years of the BSN Program

1989 was a turning point for Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

In April of that year, the Missouri Board of Nursing approved a plan for a four-year degree program for the college, establishing a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree that generations of nurses have since pursued as a rigorous foundation for their own career in health care.

It was a milestone for nursing education at Saint Luke’s, and the culmination of work that had begun 5 years earlier for Pat Teager, who was hired as director of nursing education by Saint Luke’s Hospital in 1984.

Teager remembered that process as part of a virtual event marking the anniversary for an audience of BSN graduates in March. Shortly after her arrival at Saint Luke’s, she said she began the process of exploring different options to see how the hospital could best expand its educational offerings. Through discussions with faculty, Treager said it became clear that the best route would be for the hospital to establish its own degree-granting institution.

“That began a comprehensive study of current trends and models, college partners, and independent degree granting possibilities,” Teager said. “It was probably 1987 when this process was complete.”

After approvals from hospital administration and the development of a strategic plan, the Missouri Board of Nursing approved the plan for a four-year program on April 29, 1989, to be offered by Saint Luke’s College.

The culmination of a long process of garnering support and extensive planning, the approval was a milestone in the history of Saint Luke’s nursing education. Getting there meant laying a solid foundation, Teager said, one that is evident in the continued strength and growth of the program, most recently in becoming part of Rockhurst University. It’s also evident in the dedication and skills of the BSN graduates who have called Saint Luke’s their alma mater since the first class in 1992.

“As the head of two different diploma programs for a total of 18 years and Saint Luke's College for two years, I am amazed at the graduates, the paths they have chosen and the difference they are making across the state, nation, and even the world,” she said. “I feel very proud and very humble to have had a part in their education.”