WHS School of Nursing celebrates last graduating class
Washington Health System School of Nursing held commencement exercises for the Class of 2025 on Wednesday at the Olin Fine Arts Center on the campus of Washington & Jefferson College.
It is the last graduating class from WHS School of Nursing, established in 1898, as the nursing school will be called UPMC Washington School of Nursing following its affiliation with UPMC in mid-2024.
The class graduated 16 nursing students.
In all, UPMC schools of nursing celebrated the graduation of more than 380 nursing students across seven campuses last week, and nearly 300 graduates – including 14 from Washington’s school of nursing – have accepted positions at UPMC.
Among the Washington School of Nursing graduates was Kaleah Williams, the Washington School of Nursing 2025 Student of the Year and its first DAISY honoree, an award that recognizes a nursing student’s compassion, skill, and patient connection.
“It sounds so cliche, but it’s my calling. I don’t know what else I would be doing, I always knew I wanted to be in health care,” said Williams, who has accepted a nursing position at UPMC Washington and has worked as a CNA while attending school. “I love interacting with patients, especially older patients. I am there to make it better for patients.”
Maribeth McLaughlin, chief nurse executive and vice president of Patient Care Services at UPMC, said the hospital system continues to grow its schools of nursing, and enrollment at UPMC Washington School of Nursing has more than doubled its enrollment.
“By welcoming these talented new nurses to our UPMC team, we are growing the workforce needed to care for our patients and we’re strengthening the long-term future of health-care delivery across every region we serve,” said McLaughlin.
The new graduates are entering the workforce amid a severe nursing shortage in Pennsylvania.
As part of its strategy to strengthen the nursing workforce, UPMC plans to open UPMC Mercy School of Nursing at UPMC Altoona in the fall of 2026, and continues to add graduation cohorts, expand LPN-to-RN and RN-to-BSN pathways and build partnerships with local universities.
Currently, 21 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students are enrolled in UPMC Washington’s partnership with Washington & Jefferson College, and UPMC Washington School of Nursing has admitted 45 new nursing students for the spring of 2026, exceeding its admission goal.
“Our nursing graduates represent the future of health care. Nurses are highly skilled professionals whose expertise is vital to every patient’s experience. By investing in nursing education and creating pathways to employment, UPMC is ensuring our patients continue to receive the exceptional care they deserve,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said UPMC schools of nursing provide significant student support, including tuition loan forgiveness, loan repayment incentives, and sign-on bonuses to many new hires.
UPMC also has committed $23 million toward wage increases for thousands of its nonunion nurses.
“We have a great appreciation for our nurses,” said McLaughlin. “Most nurses go into the profession because, for them, it’s a lifelong passion, not just a job. We are proud of our schools of nursing and our nurses.”
Williams is the first in her family to receive a higher education degree.
“It was hard work, but it is worth it,” said Williams. “There were financial issues and car issues and other issues, but I knew what I wanted to do and nothing was going to stop me. It’s very rewarding.”