Western Governors University Salutes Night Shift Workers Across the U.S.

WGU’s Leavitt School of Health delivers 1,350 appreciation packages to health care workers

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Governors University’s (WGU) Michael O. Leavitt School of Health has organized its first nationwide drive to honor night shift workers serving an extra hour on duty when the clocks roll back at the end of daylight saving time. As part of this initiative, WGU’s Leavitt School of Health is delivering 1,350 appreciation packages, each serving 10 workers, to hospital systems and healthcare facilities across the country.
“When clocks fall back on November 2, most of us gain an extra hour of rest, but night shift nurses and health professionals spend that hour giving more care, comfort, and compassion,” said Dr. Courtney Hills McBeth, chief academic officer and provost at WGU. “This is an opportunity to honor their dedication with care packages — our way of saying thank you for the extraordinary work they do, every night, every hour.”
Initially launched in Indiana in 2013, this campaign is based on the theme of celebrating and saluting night shift workers who work twice during the 2:00 a.m. hour when the clocks roll back to mark the end of daylight saving time. This year’s campaign encompassed the organization of packing parties at WGU’s four Clinical Learning and Simulation Centers in Utah, Texas, Missouri and Indiana, as well as the institution’s regional office in Tennessee. WGU volunteers, including members from senior leadership, faculty, staff, alumni and students, joined packing parties to prepare appreciation kits for distribution to hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country. WGU’s West and Northeast regions did not host packing parties but used other regional locations to prepare care packages for distribution to nearby health systems.
“We’re thankful to health care professionals for their diligent service in diverse communities, and for the resilience when they work for an additional hour during the night shift as clocks turn back,” said Dr. Anmy Mayfield, vice president and dean for WGU’s College of Nursing at the Leavitt School of Health. “These night shift workers not only deliver seamless patient care, they also mentor students in clinical placements and train the next generation of caregivers.”
WGU’s appreciation kits contain assorted goodies such as eye masks, medical scissors, pens, and other items, along with an opportunity to participate in a giveaway for Owala water bottles. The university’s staff is personally delivering these care packages that will be opened by night shift workers on November 2.
WGU acknowledges that balancing life and pursuing education, especially as a night shift worker, requires persistence and hard work. To help make education flexible and accessible, WGU has reopened its annual Night Shift Worker scholarship, valued at up to $4,000, where eligible students are invited to apply for the scholarship when enrolling in programs offered via the four schools at WGU — Health, Technology, Business and Education. Recognizing the country’s critical health care workforce shortages and the need to build a strong pipeline of competent professionals, WGU has also extended its Heartbeat of Healthcare scholarship for registered nurses (RN) joining the revamped Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN) and the bridge Master of Science in Nursing (RN-to-MSN) programs, and eligible students are invited to apply for this scholarship.

About Michael O. Leavitt School of Health: The school, named in honor of the former governor of Utah and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, was established in 2006 with the mission of making a difference in health care and nursing and higher education through competency-based education. The school conferred 5.4% of all bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing across the country during the 2022-2023 academic year. With more than 118,000 graduates and over 130,000 degrees already conferred by the Leavitt School of Health, the school presently serves more than 28,000 students nationwide. Learn more at Leavitt School of Health (wgu.edu).

About Western Governors University (WGU): Western Governors University, the nation’s leading nonprofit, online university, is transforming higher education to be more student-centric, affordable, accessible to all and relevant to the workforce. Established in 1997 by 19 visionary U.S. governors, WGU creates life-changing pathways to opportunity for those underserved by traditional institutions — working adults, historically underrepresented communities and a diverse, growing number of students looking for a flexible, online model that better suits their life circumstances. WGU’s competency-based education model allows students to demonstrate mastery as they progress through programs at their own pace.

Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, WGU operates in all 50 states and offers more than 100 programs in health, education, technology and business. WGU serves more than 194,000 students nationwide, with more than 406,000 alumni, and has awarded more than 458,000 degrees. Learn more at wgu.edu. Follow WGU on LinkedIn.

Anchal Nayyar
Western Governors University
385-428-4665
anchal.nayyar@wgu.edu

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