Welcome! Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Login | Register
   

Foothills Nursing Consortium celebrates 25 years

Comment     Print
Related Articles
Dr. Kelly Jones, director of the program, and Dr. Johnny Smith, dean of health and public service, pose beside the Foothills Nursing Consortium's logo. Dr. Jones has been with the Consortium for 20 years, and has served as director since 2014.

More than 1,500 nurses have received their nursing education through the Foothills Nursing Consortium, which is celebrating 25 years in February. (See more information in box.)

A partnership between Isothermal Community College, Cleveland Community College and McDowell Technical Community College, the Foothills Nursing Consortium provides programs for nursing students to receive not only their Associate Degree in Nursing but since 2016 also educational credits for their Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Students in the program have traditional instruction in the classroom as well as clinical work in area hospitals - including Rutherford Regional Medical Center, Cleveland Regional Medical Center and Kings Mountain Hospital.

The consortium's roots are in meetings during the late 80s between the three community colleges to determine how they could provide nursing education and share the costs.

"Prior to the Consortium, students had to see opportunities on other campuses," said Dr. Kelly Jones, director of the Consortium.

The first class of the Consortium graduated in 1993, with a handful of students. Now the program graduates between 55 to 60 students per year.

"We admit 70 students into the program in the fall each year," Jones explained. "But due to attrition rates, typically between 55 and 60 students graduate. Those who leave the program, however, due often return and complete the program."

When the program began, it was only a day program. Difficulties scheduling enough clinical time for all students lead the college to develop an evening night weekend program in 2004.

The program grew again in 2016 with the addition of RIBN (Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses). RIBN was developed to meet the demand by the Institute of Medicine to have 80 percent of all nurses with bachelor's degrees by 2020.

"RIBN is four years in nursing students, and students who graduate in those four years will have both an associate degree and bachelor's degree in nursing," Jones explained.

Students are enrolled in both Western Carolina University and Isothermal classwork for the first three years, and the majority of coursework is offered at Isothermal. As such, students may use Isothermal's financial aid to help cover the cost of tuition.

The fourth year, Jones continued, the student is a WCU student and will continue classes either online or at the Biltmore Park campus in Arden.

"It really allows students to almost have a BSN without ever having to leave their home area," she said.

The nursing program offered through the Foothills Nursing Consortium is rigorous, Jones said, but the students pass rate on the NCLEX, which is the licensure examination, is above the national average.

"Our students find jobs when they graduate," she said. "From our 2016 class we had 100 percent job placement following graduation."

Students who are interested in becoming a nurse and would like more information may contact Health Sciences Advisor Tina Porter, who regularly schedules informational meetings. Porter may be contacted at 828-395-1621. Those who would like more information on RIBN should contact Trisa Hines, RIBN Student Success Advocate, at 828-395-4274.

Read more from:
Latest News
Tags: 
None
Share: 
Comment      Print

Powered by Bondware
News Publishing Software

The browser you are using is outdated!

You may not be getting all you can out of your browsing experience
and may be open to security risks!

Consider upgrading to the latest version of your browser or choose on below: