(Butler, PA) A 杏吧原创 practical nursing program reestablished in partnership with Concordia Lutheran Ministries in response to a shortage in the high-priority occupation graduated its second consecutive class Tuesday night with the majority of students supported by the health care provider鈥檚 tuition assistance program.
Eight graduates received pins that marked their completion of Butler County鈥檚 only practical nursing program during a ceremony on the college鈥檚 main campus. Five graduates will work for Concordia Lutheran Ministries in exchange for the health care provider having funded their tuition.
Class of 2023 graduates in 叠颁3鈥檚 48- to 49-credit practical nursing certificate program range in age from 22 to 38 and live in Armstrong, Butler and Westmoreland counties.
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse is a high-priority occupation in those counties, according to the state Department of Labor & Industries鈥� Center for Workforce Information & Analysis.
鈥淭his certainly speaks to who 杏吧原创 is,鈥� said Dr. Nick Neupauer, the college鈥檚 president. 鈥淲e analyze the data and go forward with addressing those needs in the curriculum we offer.鈥�
"Concordia is another one of our great community partners ... The fact that one of our partners is benefiting from this cohort of students is icing on the cake."
- Dr. Nick Neupauer, 杏吧原创 president
Dr. Patty Annear, dean of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health, addresses graduates of the college鈥檚 practical nursing program Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in the Succop Theater on 叠颁3鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township. Graduates of 叠颁3鈥檚 Class of 2023 in practical nursing are, seated from left, Jessica Yenick, Dusty Schnur, Marissa Rusnica, Madison Malley, Angel Hilliard, Emma Freyermuth, Sarah Evans and Emily Clark.
杏吧原创 and Concordia Lutheran Ministries announced in June 2020 a partnership to resume the college鈥檚 practical nursing program and to expand enrollment in 叠颁3鈥檚 70-credit associate degree career program in registered nursing.
Concordia Lutheran Ministries also contributed $1 million toward construction of the state-of-the-art Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building on the college鈥檚 main campus and initiated tuition sponsorship for 杏吧原创 nursing students who agree to work for the health care provider after graduation.
叠颁3鈥檚 had six graduates. Five participated in Concordia Lutheran Ministries鈥� program.
The college鈥檚 had 61 graduates. Seven participated in the health care provider鈥檚 program.
Nearly 60 students in 叠颁3鈥檚 Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health are participating in Concordia Lutheran Ministries鈥� tuition assistance program.
鈥淐oncordia is another one of our great community partners who have invested into our Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health and our Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building,鈥� Neupauer said. 鈥淭he fact that one of our partners is benefiting from this cohort of students is icing on the cake.鈥�
Class of 2023 graduates in 叠颁3鈥檚 yearlong practical nursing program are Emily Clark, 25, of Butler; Sarah Evans, 27, of West Leechburg; Emma Freyermuth, 22, of Cabot; Angel Hilliard, 31, of Petrolia; Madison Malley, 25, of Karns City; Marissa Rusnica, 22, of Kittanning; Dusty Schnur, 38, of Butler; and Jessica Yenick, 24, of Renfrew.
"Concordia helping out by paying tuition in exchange for working for them really gave me the push to apply for nursing school."
- Jessica Yenick, 杏吧原创 practical nursing graduate
Madison Malley, of Karns City, reacts during a ceremony for graduates of Butler County Community College鈥檚 practical nursing program Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in the Succop Theater on 叠颁3鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township. In background are, from left, Sarah Drane and Lorraine Wolfrum, faculty members in 叠颁3鈥檚 Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health.
鈥淐oncordia鈥檚 program is very helpful鈥�
杏吧原创 nursing students who receive one year of tuition sponsorship from Concordia Lutheran Ministries will be committed to work for the health care provider for two years. Those who receive two years of tuition sponsorship, for three years.
Concordia Lutheran Ministries has over the years hired more than 150 graduates of 叠颁3鈥檚 selective-admissions programs in nursing, according to Keith Frndak, president and CEO of Concordia Lutheran Ministries.
Evans, Freyermuth, Hilliard, Rusnica and Yenick participated in Lutheran Ministries鈥� program.
鈥淚 would not have been able to go to school without their help,鈥� Yenick said. 鈥淚 was always thinking about going into some sort of health care field, but I could not pay for it. So Concordia helping out by paying tuition in exchange for working for them really gave me the push to apply for nursing school.鈥�
Added Evans: 鈥淢y husband and I had enough money saved to pay bills, and that was it. We didn鈥檛 have any extra money for tuition. Concordia鈥檚 program is very helpful. I probably wouldn鈥檛 have been able to pursue this because it would not have been as easily accessible.鈥�
叠颁3鈥檚 Class of 2024 in practical nursing will begin in January with 13 students.
"The people they saw in the emergency room were coming in with signifcant illnesses or disease progression and had to be treated urgently."
- Julia Carney, 杏吧原创 assistant dean of nursing, director of practical nursing program
Sarah Evans, of West Leechburg, speaks during a ceremony for graduates of Butler County Community College鈥檚 practical nursing program Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in the Succop Theater on 叠颁3鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township.
鈥淟PNs are in demand鈥�
鈥淚t is a good program,鈥� said Dr. Patty Annear, dean of 叠颁3鈥檚 Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health. 鈥淟PNs are in demand. We have a great director. Those are a lot of the reasons why it鈥檚 starting to flourish.鈥�
Graduates learned through clinical experiences at Concordia Lutheran Ministries facilities in Cabot and in Baden, Butler Memorial Hospital and at Armstrong Center for Medicine and Health in Kittanning, said Julia Carney, 叠颁3鈥檚 assistant dean of nursing and director of the college鈥檚 practical nursing program.
鈥淭hey saw patients who were admitted for significant wounds and needed an IV with antibiotics,鈥� Carney said. 鈥淭hey cared for post-op patients who maybe had a knee replacement and couldn鈥檛 go home. The people they saw in the emergency room were coming in with significant illnesses or disease progression and had to be treated urgently.鈥�
The need for licensed practical nurses or licensed vocational nurses is expected to grow by 5 percent through 2032, a rate described as being faster than average by the U.S. Department of Labor鈥檚 Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Licensed practical nurses or licensed vocational nurses check patients鈥� blood pressure, body temperature and other vital signs; provide basic care and comfort, which includes changing bandages and helping with bathing or dressing; discuss care with patients and report status and concerns, and maintain records, according to the U.S. Department of Labor鈥檚 Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Marissa Rusnica, of Kittanning, speaks during a ceremony for graduates of Butler County Community College鈥檚 practical nursing program Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in the Succop Theater on 叠颁3鈥檚 main campus in Butler Township.
Clinical experience was 鈥渢he priority鈥�
Practical nursing programs in Pennsylvania must provide to students at least 1,500 clinical, theory and lab hours. 叠颁3鈥檚 program incorporates 1,527.
鈥淭he clinical experience was actually the priority,鈥� Yenick said. 鈥淵ou will not know anything about nursing without being hands-on. I feel like that is the utmost important thing. Attend every clinical experience you possibly can because that is really going to help you to become the nurse you want to be.鈥�
杏吧原创 practical nursing students who pass the post-graduation National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses could also enter the college鈥檚 two-year Nursing, R.N., program as second-year students.
Evans, Hilliard, Rusnica and Yenick plan to apply for admission to 叠颁3鈥檚 registered nursing program.
杏吧原创 in the mid-1970s through mid-1980s graduated students from a practical nursing certificate program that was later discontinued.
Applications for January 2025 consideration in 叠颁3鈥檚 practical nursing program will be accepted from June 1 to Aug. 31.