Joyce University Celebrates First CommonSpirit Health Employee Cohort to Graduate from the ASN Program

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences announces the graduation of the first employee-based cohort of CommonSpirit Health’s Holy Cross Hospitals from its Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program. This collaboration between Joyce University and CommonSpirit Health provides an accelerated pathway to nursing licensure for healthcare workers as an innovative way to address Utah’s growing demand for skilled nurses.

“This partnership between Holy Cross Hospitals and Joyce University was designed to advance education equity, providing opportunities to students who might not otherwise have been able to attend nursing school,” said Martha Gamble, VP of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer at CommonSpirit Health and developer of the partnership program. “These graduates are not only our employees, but individuals we are proud to invest in as they grow, give back to their families, and serve their communities.”

Joyce University’s fall commencement ceremony was held on September 16, 2024, at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. Among the 234 graduates honored at the ceremony, five were the first to complete their ASN degrees through this partnership with CommonSpirit, which launched in 2023. The partnership aims to provide educational pathways for CommonSpirit employees, empowering them to advance their careers and meet the healthcare needs of their communities.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this accomplishment—it’s definitely in my top five hardest things I’ve ever done. The scholarship program from CommonSpirit made it all possible,” said recent graduate Gusti Darling. “At my age, I was scared it would be too difficult or fast paced for me to keep up, but Joyce and CommonSpirit gave me the support I needed to follow my dream of becoming a nurse.”

To date, 39 employees from CommonSpirit Health’s Holy Cross Hospitals have enrolled in Joyce University’s ASN program through this partnership. The program’s hands-on approach and accelerated timeline enable students to become licensed registered nurses in just 20 months, making it a critical solution to the nursing shortage both in Utah and across the country.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the success of our first cohort in this program,” said Dr. John Smith-Coppes, CEO of Joyce University. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to increasing the number of highly trained nurses in Utah and beyond, ensuring that our healthcare systems remain strong and responsive to community needs.”

This partnership is poised for continued growth, with plans for additional cohorts starting in 2025.

For more information about Joyce University and its nursing programs, please visit joyce.edu.

ABOUT JOYCE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1979, Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences’ mission is to prepare students to serve as competent professionals, to advance their careers, and to pursue lifelong learning. Located in Draper, Utah, Joyce University is proud to have helped thousands of students across the US graduate and launch lasting healthcare careers. With a recent expansion of its pre-licensure programs to select regional locations, including Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wisconsin, Joyce University’s expansion enables aspiring nurses in these regions to access the same high-quality education and opportunities that have defined the institution for decades. Join them as they continue to shape the future of healthcare, one student at a time.

Joyce University is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and programmatically accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) for the Associate of Science in Nursing degree program and by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing degree programs.