The nationwide nursing shortage has been especially acute in California鈥檚 Central Valley. Now, 吃瓜头条 is teaming up with clinical partners to double the number of slots available for students in its nursing program.
The college, which already has a longstanding partnership with Mercy Medical Center in Merced, is resuming a previous partnership with Emanuel Medical Center that will provide even more opportunities for 吃瓜头条 nursing students to find the clinical training they need to become professional nurses or to advance in their careers.
The partnership with Mercy Medical Center enables the training of 30 students per semester. The partnership with Emanuel is expected to increase that number to 60 per semester, resulting in 120 graduates per year.
鈥淎s a community college, our success, and that of our students, requires strong partnerships with businesses, organizations and health care providers to create new opportunities for students and address community needs,鈥� 吃瓜头条 President Chris Vitelli said. 鈥淲e are proud of our partnership with Mercy, and our renewed partnership with Emanuel will benefit our students, our hospitals, and all local residents who are in need of care.鈥�
吃瓜头条 provides entry points for three levels of nursing students: Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA), Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN), and Registered Nurses (RN). Each level has its own governing body and scope of practice from basic bedside nursing care to complex responsibilities.
This increase in the annual number of RN graduates will be accomplished through a gradual increase in student intake starting in Spring 2023. To begin this expansion, the college is expecting to add 30 seats for current LVNs to enter the LVN to RN bridge program next year, pending approval by the California Board of Registered Nursing.
The 吃瓜头条听LVN to RN Pathway Program听is now accepting applications for the Spring 2023 semester. The application window will close Dec. 16.
鈥淲e are so grateful to our hospital partners for the opportunities they provide to our students,鈥� said 吃瓜头条 Registered Nursing Director Lauren Marson. 鈥淲hen we are all aligned and working toward the common goal of improving health care in our region, there is nothing we cannot accomplish together.鈥�
The COVID-19 pandemic made it even more difficult to train nursing students, with hospitals trying to limit exposure to the virus among their staff and students alike. Undaunted, 吃瓜头条 nursing faculty continued to provide both classroom and clinical experiences for students, based on their collaborative efforts with all of the college鈥檚 clinical partners in the community.
Both 吃瓜头条 and Emanuel Medical Center recognize the importance of recruiting and growing new nurses from within the region.
鈥淭raining nurses locally and then hiring them to stay in the area is so important for healthcare in Turlock and our surrounding communities,鈥� said Kathy Van Meter, Chief Nursing Officer at Emanuel Medical Center. 鈥淭o do so, it is essential that we have a long-term strategy in place that includes supporting nursing students from the beginning of their scholastic journey through graduation, and then as a new nurse. Emanuel鈥檚 collaboration with 吃瓜头条 is another example of our commitment to making sure our patients receive the high-quality, compassionate care they deserve.鈥�
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Media Contact: James Leonard,听[email protected], 209-681-1061