MCC Adds LPN Program To Expand Pathways
Registration is open for the January 2023 cohort.
Manchester Community College (MCC) is offering a new licensed practical nursing (LPN) program to help meet the increased workforce needs for skilled nurses in the state’s largest city. The addition of the LPN program expands pathways for students interested in a nursing career and is an extension of MCC’s four established healthcare programs – registered nurse (RN), licensed nursing assistant (LNA), LPN to registered nurse (LPN to RN) and medical assistant.
MCC becomes the fourth New Hampshire community college to offer the one-year LPN program, which was created by River Valley Community College (RVCC) in 2019. RVCC and the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) designed the program so that it could expand to multiple campuses in a program-sharing model that helps to keep administrative costs of the program down.
“During the pandemic, there was a tremendous shortage of nurses in the state,” said Kimberly Perrotta, Allied Health department chair and director of Nursing at MCC. “Last fall there were over 200 open LPN positions in Manchester. Some acute care facilities have changed their models to bring LPNs back as an integral part of the nursing workforce to help lighten the burden of care. This makes the need for an LPN program very clear, and we wanted to bring a robust academic experience with an accredited curriculum to our students. Now we can help train the next generation of highly skilled LPNs to meet workforce needs while bringing an additional educational pathway to MCC students.”
The 36-credit LPN certificate program incorporates theory with simulated activities in the Excellence in Clinical Learning through Simulation (ExCLS) Nursing Laboratory, a state-of-the-art laboratory with nine hospital beds and several high and medium fidelity mannequins in a realistic hospital room setting. After students learn hands-on patient care in the laboratory, they will begin clinical training at Parkland Medical Center in Derry. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN), the nationwide nursing license exam. This program can serve as pathway for LNAs to expand their skills and as a pre-requisite for the one-year hybrid LPN to RN program.
According to NHeconomy.com, healthcare is one of the state’s largest industries and has had a surge in open positions.
The deadline for applications for the January 2023 LPN program cohort at MCC is September 30, 2022. Pre-requisites include having a medical background with basic nursing skills or being an LNA. Admissions information is available on River Valley Community College’s website at: https://www.rivervalley.edu/program/nursing-licensed-practical-nurse-lpn/
