Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute plans to add a new Health Sciences program in early 2019 that will provide students with another path to a career in Nursing and fill a vital need for local health care providers.
Pending state approval, CCC&TI will add Practical Nursing to its Health Sciences offerings on the Caldwell Campus in Hudson beginning in the Spring Semester of 2019. The application to add the program was approved by the CCC&TI Board of Trustees on April 18 and is now awaiting approval from the state.
The decision to add the program is based on a high demand for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and the demand from students wanting to pursue the 1-year diploma program. CCC&TI currently offers a 2-year Associate Degree in Nursing, which allows students to test for Registered Nurse licensure. The existing Nursing program is among CCC&TI’s most successful and in-demand offerings.
“Many of our students are unable to make a commitment of two or more years to become a registered nurse, even though they have a strong desire to enter the nursing profession,” Health Sciences Dean Barbara Harris said. “By offering the LPN program, students who are unable to make that time commitment due to financial or other reasons would be able to accomplish their goal of entering the nursing profession with the possibility of continuing in the pathway at a future time.”
Students would be required to meet certain General Education requirements to apply for the program, and upon admission would complete the program in one year. Graduates will be eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN), which is required for practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Employment opportunities include hospitals, rehabilitation/long-term care/home health facilities, clinics and physicians’ offices.
“Currently there are 62 positions for Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational nurses in the Western Piedmont area of North Carolina and 500 open positions in all of North Carolina,” Harris said. “Our employer survey showed a salary range of $14.50 to $25 an hour for LPNs.”
To introduce the new program to the community, CCC&TI will host a Practical Nursing information session at 5 p.m. on May 16 in Room B-104 on the Caldwell Campus in Hudson. For information on registering for the LPN program at CCC&TI, please call Amy Huffman at 726-2710 or Holly Freeman at 828.726.2711.
