Teaching the Next Generation of Caregivers

When Lincoln General and Bryan Memorial hospitals opened in 1925 and 1926, respectively, they both immediately began schools of nursing. Most hospitals around Nebraska had their own schools at the time, primarily to guarantee enough staff for the hospitals. Few still do.

100 years at Bryan means a century of continued investment in healthcare education, one which will continue to stretch into our next 100 years.

The Early Days

Like most elements of health care, education looked much different a century ago than it does today. There were around 1,600 licensed nurses in Nebraska at the time the two schools opened. There was no tuition for students, and free room, board and laundry were included.

Largely out of necessity, students were quickly thrown into the deep end of nursing. Students lived and breathed their education and future profession; when they weren’t attending classes, they were helping to staff the hospital on nights and weekends.

Gladys Smits was the first director of Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing, and she served until 1937. A partnership with the University of Nebraska began in 1932. LGH students would receive part of their general education at the University of Nebraska while finishing their degree at LGH.

On July 6, 1925, Alveretta Van Engen was the first student enrolled at Bryan School of Nursing. Students were housed in the Fairview house from the college’s inception and were required to attend a chapel service every morning at 6 a.m.

Through an affiliation with Nebraska Wesleyan University, students received instruction in basic sciences that could be applied toward a Bachelor of Science degree.

Lucy Austin was the first director of the Bryan school, although she resigned after six months and Myrtle Dean, a nurse who served overseas for over five years, took over. Dean would hold the position for 11 years. There have been 12 presidents of the School of Nursing and five presidents of Bryan College of Health Sciences.

The first graduates of each school came in 1927 at LGH and 1929 at BMH.

The Evolution of Education

As the two hospitals changed over the years, so did their respective schools. Expansion in healthcare services and local population led to an increased need for nursing. Both schools eventually built dormitories for their growing student bodies.

Both hospitals, and their schools, survived trying times during the Great Depression. In the 1940s, students answered the call to serve as nursing cadets during World War II. Due to growing student needs, Bryan School of Nursing completed a brand-new building for classes and student activities in 1961.

Throughout the 20th century, both schools continued to evolve their curriculum to account for new advances in medical practice and technology. Sherry Koenigsman, EdD, who has been teaching at Bryan since 1981, remembers the days when she taught from an overhead projector while students took handwritten notes. Forty years before, the classroom looked much different, as it does today, 40 years after.

Bryan School of Nursing faced several challenges to its existence over the years. Phylis Hollamon, MSN, a former student and president of the school, said there were a few occasions where the school could have closed due to low enrollment and other external factors. At a time with a particularly low number of students, the college opened a nannying program to keep all the faculty employed, Dr. Koenigsman said. Through it all, the school found a way to endure.

Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing experienced similar challenges as a diploma school. In May 1976, the last LGH class graduated, and the school was closed. Afterward, though, the hospital continued to provide clinical experiences for students at the University of Nebraska nursing education program.

A Name Change

To stay relevant into the 21st century, hospital and school administration knew the Bryan School of Nursing needed to become a degree-granting institution. Hollamon, Dr. Koenigsman and Marcia Kube, EdD, were all part of that effort.

Two major steps in this process included updating curriculum and preparing faculty. Dr. Kube said she and other faculty consulted other colleges who had changed from diploma to bachelor’s programs, going on site visits to see what a successful transition looked like.

“There are a number of doctoral faculty now on staff who were a part of that original group,” Hollamon said. “They decided to stay with it and get their advanced degrees. I think they all have the appreciation for the hard work it takes to achieve your professional goals.”

At the time of accreditation, Hollamon said there remained pessimism about the school’s future. But through the efforts of a dedicated faculty and a capital project to expand the school’s space, the school was approved to become a degree-granting institution in 2001. To reflect this, its name was changed to Bryan College of Health Sciences.

The school started phasing out the diploma program while starting its baccalaureate program. Dr. Kube said there was one spring where the school had its final diploma graduates and its first bachelor’s graduates.

“The students who were graduating from the phased-out program never felt diminished or like they were getting less of a product,” Dr. Kube said. “That was really important to us.”

Today, the college offers a wide array of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs, including nursing, sonography, biomedical sciences and healthcare education.

A Bright Future for Healthcare Education

Dr. Anderson and college administration established four goals for their 2025-28 strategic plan:

• Life Cycle Enrollment: Engage with students from recruitment all the way through graduation and alumni status.
• Comprehensive Support: Provide aid to students on a variety of needs, including academics, mental health and food insecurity.
• Build the Workforce: Bolster the healthcare workforce at Bryan Health and in Nebraska.
• Connect with Alumni: Re-establish relationships with alumni, increasing their engagement with the student body.

Though almost 50 years have passed since LGH’s School of Nursing closed, its memory is kept alive through dedicated alumni. Similarly, alumni from the original Bryan School of Nursing are proud of what they achieved.

Their history lives on in the halls of the modern college facility, where old nursing uniforms, equipment and other artifacts adorn the walls. As students and faculty go about their day, they are reminded of the legacy they carry on and the constant goal of creating a bright future for healthcare education.

That future now is in the hands of Kelsi Anderson, PhD, who assumed the role of college president in July 2024 after eight years on the faculty – six as provost.

She said her first year so far as president has been about establishing connections with staff, students, alumni and donors.

“It’s great to be part of an organization that has had such a huge impact in the past, and I’m excited to be here for many years into the future,” Dr. Anderson said. “Healthcare and education are changing at a rapid pace, so making sure we’re preparing our future graduates to enter the workforce ready to tackle these challenges is a focus of ours for the next century.”

Through recent ventures such as the Medical Sciences Focus Program, which provides students at Lincoln Northwest High School the opportunity to earn college credit, continued investments have been made in the Bryan and Nebraska workforce.

Dr. Koenigsman tells her students that so much has changed in health care and at the college over her 40 years on the faculty. She’s seen an increase in diversity among the student body and a shift to a more digital learning process. The college opened a Simulation Center in 2010, offering students the ability to learn in a controlled clinical environment.

"Once I decided I wanted to become a nurse I knew Bryan Health College would be the place for me,” said sophomore nursing student Kali Staples. “The excellent education I am receiving will prepare me for my future career."

Junior nursing student Jentry Schell agrees, calling the college “one of the biggest blessings in my life.”

“Every lab, lecture and exam are worth it,” Schell said. “I’m so thankful to be in the position I am today.”

Into its next century, Bryan College of Health Sciences will continue its mission of innovation and education.

“I can still find William Jennings Bryan’s statue here on campus, but otherwise the whole footprint of what our space is and what we do have changed a lot,” Dr. Koenigsman said.

Do you like this type of story? Check out more Bryan Beyond 100 stories.