Health, Healing & Hands-On Learning

Connie Kachel White

Sergio Garcia, a third-year nursing student at WSU with clinical experience at both Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and St. Joseph, is looking forward to graduating from the newly-named Ascension Via Christi – Wichita State University School of Nursing — and to making a difference in the world.

Sergio Garcia has gained valuable clinical experience at both AVC St. Francis and St. Joseph hospitals in Wichita, and he’s eagerly looking forward to graduating next year from WSU’s newly-named school of nursing. The naming, which reflects the decades-long partnership in classroom learning and clinical practicum between Wichita State and Via Christi, one of the state’s leading healthcare providers, was approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in June. The naming also recognizes AVC’s support of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, a joint initiative of WSU, WSU Tech and the University of Kansas.

On top of Garcia’s nursing studies and clinicals, he works as a nursing associate at the University of Kansas Health System. “I’m a strong believer that the best way to learn is through hands-on experience,” he says, adding that he decided on Wichita State’s nursing school because it requires over 1,000 clinical hours, has a high National Council Licensure Examination pass rate and, since Wichita is home to him, it’s convenient. “I’ve enjoyed the program,” he says. “The instructors are amazing and genuinely care about connecting with their students. The program brings together a group of very different students, all with the same purpose in mind — to one day become great nurses.”

Over the years, the many individual realizations of that common purpose have been grounded by clinical practicums at Via Christi facilities. Garcia describes the clinical experiences he participated in at St. Francis (for a year) and St. Joseph (for six weeks) this way: “There was an RN preceptor each shift. We stayed with our RN throughout the day, learning the ins and outs of being a nurse. This included performing physical assessments, administering medications through different routes and practicing various nursing skills. Some of the more common skills we were able to perform included starting IVs, inserting urinary catheters and administering IV medications. This was very beneficial because we were able to apply what we’d been learning in class to real-world situations.”

With his ties to WSU, Via Christi and KU, Garcia follows with interest the Wichita Biomedical Campus’ development. Approaching completion of its Phase I construction, the eight-story WBC is on track to open in 2027. It will anchor the south end of Wichita’s downtown biomedical corridor, with St. Francis anchoring the north. The acute-care medical center is counted among AVC’s six hospitals, 75 clinics and other care facilities operating in Kansas — and it’s the oldest: St. Francis was acquired by the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother in 1889.

Given Via Christi’s 136-year history in Wichita of advocating for health and healing, it’s no surprise the healthcare provider is a major contributor, via the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement, to the WBC. “This investment in the Wichita Biomedical Campus demonstrates Via Christi’s continuing commitment to improving healthcare across not just our city and state but the entire region,” says WSU President Rick Muma. “We’re proud to acknowledge their investment with the naming of our school of nursing.”

Telly McGaha, WSUFAE president and CEO, adds, “The Wichita Biomedical Campus stands to revolutionize healthcare education. The facility will attract students, educators and researchers from across the country. We’re incredibly grateful for Via Christi’s investment in this project.”

With more than 400 WSU nursing alumni currently employed at Via Christi care facilities, the Via Christi-Wichita State collaboration helps to directly address the urgent need for nurses at all levels of education and practice. “This partnership is about more than a name,” says Kevin Strecker, Via Christi CEO. “It’s about building a future where academic excellence and compassionate care work hand-in-hand. By strengthening connections between our classrooms and our clinical settings, we can better prepare the next generation of caregivers to serve the health needs of our communities for decades to come.”

Garcia, who plans to specialize as a trauma nurse after graduating from Wichita State, will be among that next generation of caregivers. Having learned not only how to efficaciously start an IV and administer meds, he says he has also taken to heart something even more basic and vital. “I learned,” he says, “how the field of nursing values and depends on empathy — that’s what’s essential for providing effective, patient-centered care.”

That thought echoes a phrase in the vision statement for Ascension, the parent organization of Via Christi: “to bring health, healing and hope to all.”

And it names one of the most important therapeutic components needed for Garcia and his fellow Wichita State school of nursing students to realize their common purpose of becoming “great nurses.”