WHEREAS, the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012; and

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing, which was named in honor of staunch supporter and respected nurse Eleanor Wade Custer in 2012, began when the Winchester Memorial Hospital board of trustees approached the school about establishing an associate of science in nursing degree program to help meet the hospital's need for trained nurses; and

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing offered liberal arts and science classes on campus, while clinical work and on-the-job training were conducted at Winchester Memorial Hospital; and

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing students who signed contracts to work for Winchester Memorial Hospital for two and one-half years received full scholarships from the hospital after earning their associate of science in nursing degree and passing the state boards; and

WHEREAS, the first class of four nursing students graduated from the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing in 1964 and then completed a six-week internship at Winchester Memorial Hospital; and

WHEREAS, the associate of science in nursing degree program at Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing served as a model for other schools across the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing has evolved over the years to meet changing needs in the health care industry and partnered with other institutions of higher learning and health care facilities; and

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing added a bachelor's and master's degree in nursing, post-master's degree certificates, and a doctorate in nursing practice; it discontinued the two-year associate of science in nursing degree in 2001; and

WHEREAS, in 1996, the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing moved into the newly constructed Health Professions Building on the campus of the Winchester Medical Center; in 2001, it opened the Gladys T. Quarles Learning Laboratory for Nursing, which provides students with state-of-the-art mannequin technology to enhance their educational experience; and

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing attracts the best and brightest faculty who promote academic excellence; the school boasts an Honor Society of Nursing, a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society; and

WHEREAS, since 2007, the Shenandoah University Eleanor Custer School of Nursing has received nearly $6 million in government and competitive grants; and

WHEREAS, students of the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing can be found in a variety of health care settings ranging from hospitals in urban areas to small offices in rural locations; and

WHEREAS, as the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing reflects with pride on its history, it looks forward to continuing to train the nurses and nurse educators of the future; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing hereby be commended for its vital role in nursing education in the Commonwealth on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing as an expression of the House of Delegates' congratulations and admiration for the school's commitment to its students and outstanding health care.