Discover a snapshot of Boise State’s history of nursing excellence.
Early 1900s
Episcopal Bishop James Bowen Funsten in the early 1900s. Combined with clinical training at St. Luke’s Hospital, Bishop Funsten launched nursing education at St. Margaret’s school for girls.
1932
St. Margaret’s evolved to become Boise Junior College in 1932 with Bishop Middleton S. Barnwell as the first President.
1955
The diploma nursing program at St. Luke’s Hospital transitions to Boise Junior College under Florence Miles, who served as the director of the nursing department from 1955–1974 when she transitioned to serve as faculty until her retirement.
The nursing program began as a three-year associate degree with a class of ten students. It quickly became clear that two years was an appropriate timeframe for students to complete their studies. The switch resulted in an extra large graduation class in 1959, because it combined the classes of 1956 and 1957.
1972
Nursing is established as a full department.
1974
Boise College became Boise State University.
1975
The nursing department admitted its first cohort of registered nurse students studying to complete their bachelor’s.
1976
The department introduced a bachelor of science in nursing with options for nurse practitioner, leadership and acute care tracks.
1977
The nursing department moved into the newly-built science building; faculty remember it having a lively, close-knit atmosphere full of collegial collaboration.
1987
The on-campus undergraduate bachelor’s of science in nursing program that we know today began.
1988
Boise State adjunct professor and former St. Luke’s nursing director Joanna “Jody” DeMeyer co-founded Boise State’s Friends of Nursing. A philanthropic coalition of nurses, physicians, business leaders and community members, they committed to addressing the Treasure Valley nursing shortage. The group raised millions of dollars to support nursing education, student scholarships and faculty research.
1998
Professor Emeritus Pam Gehrke designed and taught the College of Health Sciences’ very first online course.
2002-2009
The ‘One Front Door’ initiative: a single-entry nursing program where everyone started with the same curriculum. Students could enter right out of high school and, as they advanced through each semester, they would decide what level of nursing education they wanted to finish with: a practical nursing certificate, an associates degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
A logistical challenge, the initiative dissolved when The College of Western Idaho evolved out of Boise State’s Selland College, which took over the practical nursing certificate and associates degree program. The restructure turned out to be better fit for both students and institutions, dedicating Boise State resources to baccalaureate and graduate education.
2006
The JoAnna “Jody” DeMeyer Endowed Chair in Nursing began thanks to a $3 million endowment from her estate.
Simulation education in nursing begins.
2008
Innovative for its time, the school began offering the RN to BS completion program completely online in 2008. It is a favorite among registered nurses looking for more flexible education than in-person options.
2010
The school had outgrown its space in the nursing/science building on campus. The Kissler Family Foundation – together with community members, alumni and Saint Alphonsus and St. Luke’s health systems – responded generously to the need for a new facility designed for nursing education. In 2010, the School of Nursing moved into the 81,921 square foot Norco Building and has been there ever since.
2013
The doctor of nursing practice program began, training nurses with an emphasis on leadership.
The Simulation Center receives accreditation for the first time.
2020
Despite the host of complications that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, the era resulted in powerful innovation and collaboration across the Bronco Nurse family – faculty, staff, donors, local healthcare partners – to ensure students received the education they needed to succeed.
Unsurprisingly, students enrolled in the on-campus bachelor’s program in fall 2020 began their studies off campus. Alumni from those years described it as “a really intense experience” that taught them invaluable lessons in flexibility, creativity, problem solving and tenacity.
2024
The AGNP and DNP programs became the foundation for the current graduate program. The BS-DNP program began as part of the solution to the provider shortage. It upholds recent industry standards for nurse practitioners to be doctorally-prepared, and provides an option for advanced practice nurses to earn their post-master’s doctorate.