Idaho Colleges Launched New Nursing Graduate Program
The two-year degree aims to help Idaho employers address the state's persistent nursing workforce shortage.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
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North Idaho College and the University of Idaho have opened applications for a new Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program. The two-year graduate course allows students who hold a bachelor's degree in a different field to pivot into the healthcare workforce.
Why it matters
The program intends to mitigate Idaho's nursing workforce shortage, where current staffing levels sit at 5.9 registered nurses per 1,000 people. By creating an accelerated path for career changers, the institutions aim to increase the volume of qualified applicants available to regional hospitals.
Idaho currently reports 5.9 registered nurses per 1,000 people. This new graduate-level program lasts two years and provides an alternative pipeline for clinical staffing.
The players
North Idaho College
A public community college in Coeur d'Alene that provides simulation lab resources and prerequisite training.
University of Idaho
A public land-grant research university that co-developed the new nursing curriculum.
The details
The program leverages North Idaho College simulation lab resources to train students before they move into clinical placements at regional hospitals. Because the curriculum is designed for bachelor's degree holders from other fields, students can complete all required nursing prerequisites at North Idaho College before matriculating into the graduate program.
Timeline
The State Board of Education approved the program in August 2025.
Applications for the program opened on September 21, 2026.
Classes are scheduled to begin in fall 2027.
Market Landscape
This program launch follows the authorization patterns established by the State Board of Education's 2025 nursing program approval mandate. It signals a shift toward accelerated academic pathways to address chronic staffing gaps in regional clinical sectors.
Business owners in the healthcare sector should monitor this cohort as a potential new source of clinical hires by 2027. Operators should account for a shift in recruitment competition as these candidates begin their clinical rotations in regional hospitals.
The takeaway
The program provides a tactical solution to nursing shortages by opening a degree pathway to career changers. Managers should track the graduation timeline to evaluate how these entrants will affect clinical wage pressures in their area by late 2027.
What happens next
Classes for the first cohort are scheduled to begin in fall 2027.
Further reading
For more on industry talent pipelines and credentialing, see Nursing Jobs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Coeur d'Alene Press.
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