FREMONT, Ohio — The nursing program at Terra State Community College will soon be expanding to offer classes to non-traditional students and those with full-time jobs.
The leaders at the school have been told by their local partner hospitals that there is a growing need for new nurses.
"There is a high need right now, I mean hospitals are giving bonuses to nurses, and so our local, particularly private hospitals that are close to us, came to us and expressed a huge need and they're partnering with us on this grant," said Ann Sergent, Dean of Liberal Arts, Business and Allied Health at Terra State Community College. "So we're trying to fill that need."
While they are at capacity in their standard full-time nursing program, the college was recently awarded a $200K grant from the Ohio Board of Nursing Nurse Education Grant Program to launch a new part-time, nights and weekend cohort.
"We have approximately 74 students in the nursing program," said Sergent. "This would add an additional 48 in the first year and another 48 in the second year. So we're really excited."
Along with more equipment, the grant funding will allow for more instructors to be hired as well.
Though it will take longer for the part-time nursing students, it makes the classes more accessible to more people and hopefully opens up an option for people who have wanted to be a nurse, but never could find the time.
"This gives a lot of those single parents, parents with young children, working adults the opportunity to come in and participate in the program," said Bill Taylor, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Terra State.
"You know, you can't work full-time and do nursing full-time," said Sergent. "So I think this will really open it up for a lot of people who want a career change or have always wanted to go into nursing, but haven't been able to."
The new part-time, evening cohort for the residential nursing program at school is set to launch next fall semester in 2024.
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