Your undergraduate path to becoming a nurse
Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP)
The Pre-Nursing track within RHOP is designed for rural Nebraska students interested in returning to rural areas to practice nursing. In this program, you’ll complete two years at Wayne State before entering nursing school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha to complete your bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Participants in RHOP receive a full-tuition scholarship at WSC, guaranteed admission to UNMC, job shadowing and internship experiences, one-on-one advising, and early registration privileges.
Rural Health Opportunities Program
Honors Program
Honors students complete an independent research project, usually spanning their junior and senior years. Your research can take you just about anywhere - in the lab or library, in the community, or in the U.S. or abroad! Honors work can also be very practical. Prospective employers and graduate admissions committees often look carefully at an undergraduate record for evidence of extra initiative and genuine intellectual strength.
Learn more about the Honors Program
Pre-Nursing internships and job shadowing
Our outstanding Career Services Office is available to help you find internships and career opportunities. Students recently completed internships at the following locations:
- Avalon Memory Care (Minnetonka, Minn.)
- Fillmore County Hospital (Geneva, Neb.)
- Nemaha County Hospital (Auburn, Neb.)
- Taylor Creek Physical Therapy (Norfolk, Neb.)
Topics covered in the Pre-Nursing program
- Chemical processes and reactions
- Human anatomy and dissection
- Physiological process of the human body
- Development and nutritional needs throughout the life cycle
- Structure and physiology of microorganisms
- Bioethics
- Probability and statistics
- Critical thinking and problem solving
Graduates of the Pre-Nursing program work in their field or continue their studies using the skills they learned while at Wayne State College.
Recent grads are pursuing their nursing degrees at the following schools:
- Creighton University (Omaha, Neb.)
- Iowa Western Community College (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
- Mercy College of Health Sciences (Des Moines, Iowa)
- Nebraska Methodist College (Omaha, Neb.)
- South Dakota State University (Aberdeen, S.D.)
- St. Luke's College (Sioux City, Iowa)
- University of Nebraska Medical Center - College of Nursing (Norfolk Neb.)
- Western Nebraska Community College (Scottsbluff, Neb.)
Career possibilities:
- Clinical nurse
- Midwife
- Psychiatric nurse
- Pediatric or NICU nurse
- School nurse
- Nurse educator/mentor
- Home health nurse
- Surgical nurse
- Hospice nurse
job or grad school placement rate
within six months of graduation
Data based on most recent
employment outcomes survey
Transfer to Wayne State
Our generous transfer credit policy will allow you to get credit for what you've already earned.
- If you've taken courses at other institutions, you can transfer those credits to Wayne State.
- Already have an associate degree? Seamlessly transfer your full degree through one of our transfer pathways.
- Military or veteran student? You may be able to get credit for your military experience and training.
The Pre-Nursing program really focuses on essential knowledge to prepare you for nursing school, and a future career as a nurse. The instructors here are willing to help guide, direct, and nurture students. I’ve received the medical knowledge needed for the road ahead, as I will apply to med school after getting my bachelor’s degree in nursing. Wayne State has become a home for me, and my friends here have become my family. They’ve helped me manage the transition to more challenging science classes, and constantly encourage me and bring positivity to my life. Wayne State is a great place to study for the nursing field, and I would do it all over again!
Maro Aghoghovbia
Lagos State, Nigeria
Pre-Nursing (Health Sciences)
The Pre-Nursing program really focuses on essential knowledge to prepare you for nursing school, and a future career as a nurse. The instructors here are willing to help guide, direct, and nurture students. I’ve received the medical knowledge needed for the road ahead, as I will apply to med school after getting my bachelor’s degree in nursing. Wayne State has become a home for me, and my friends here have become my family. They’ve helped me manage the transition to more challenging science classes, and constantly encourage me and bring positivity to my life. Wayne State is a great place to study for the nursing field, and I would do it all over again!
Maro Aghoghovbia
Lagos State, Nigeria
Pre-Nursing (Health Sciences)
Department faculty
Douglas Christensen, Ph.D.
Professor
Dr. Doug Christensen is a biology professor at Wayne State College. His teaching interests include utilization of molecular biology in a broad range of sciences (including medical, environmental, and industrial fields); teaching about battles between the immune system and the evolving world of bacteria and viruses; microbiology; molecular genetics; and immunology.
Buffany DeBoer is a biology instructor at Wayne State College. Her teaching interests are general education biology and environmental science.
Dr. Mark Hammer is a biology professor at Wayne State College. He advises students who are interested in a career as a conservation biologist, physician assistant (including RHOP pre-PA), or occupational therapist. He is also the director of the A. Jewell Schock Natural History Museum.
Michael Mutehart, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Michael Mutehart is a life sciences professor at Wayne State College. Mutehart has a strong background in clinical anatomy education. His teaching responsibilities are mainly in the field of human gross anatomy and its related counterparts (histology, comparative anatomy, etc.).
Dr. Shawn Pearcy is a biology professor at Wayne State College. His teaching interests are biology, human physiology, vertebrate embryology, and physiological ecology.
Danielle Peekenschneider, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Danielle Peekenschneider is a biology professor at Wayne State College. Her teaching interests include general education biology, oncology, and immunology.
Jillian Wormington, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Jillian Wormington is a biology professor at Wayne State College and the zoological curator of the A. Jewell Schock Natural History Museum.
Student clubs for pre-professional health majors
Biology Club - For students interested in biological sciences
Exercise is Medicine - Works toward improving the health and well-being of the campus community
Health Science Club - For students pursuing careers in health-related fields
Physician Assistant Club - For students in the PA program or interested in healthcare
Best Colleges for Health Sciences in Nebraska
CampusReel recognized Wayne State as one of the Best Colleges in Nebraska for Health Sciences based on alumni salaries after graduation, student loan debt, and other metrics.
A Best College of Distinction
Wayne State was recognized as a Best College of Distinction for our excellence in student engagement, teaching, community, and successful graduate outcomes.
A Top Public College in the Midwest
WSC was identified as one of the top public universities in the Midwest for 2025 by U.S. News & World’s Best Colleges ranking report.
Where you'll learn
Students in this program will take courses in Carhart Science, home to WSC's math and science programs. Carhart Science features several labs for chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, plant science, zoology, genetics, microbiology, physics, Earth science, fermentation, and science education. Additionally, there is a molecular-based student research lab, microscopy suite, a cadaver lab, and a cell culture facility.
