Nurses are in great demand all over the United States. To meet that need in Henry County and surrounding areas, Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC) has expanded its nursing program across all six campuses. This means about 160 new nurses can be launched into the workforce every year, with the vast majority of them remaining in the area where they already live.

The Associate of Science in Nursing program is the traditional plan for students who want to become registered nurses. It operates four days a week at various campuses, including Henry County. It includes 16 months of class time and can be started immediately after high school. The newest “bridge” program is designed for professionals already working in the medical field, such as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or paramedics. This one-day-a-week schedule takes one year to complete and allows professionals to further their education without disrupting their work schedules. It also eliminates some courses normally included in the ASN program because bridge students have already demonstrated their ability in certain areas.

“If you are already a paramedic or a licensed practical nurse, you have already learned the basics and developed the necessary time management and priority skills,” said Amy Adams, SCTC’s dean of nursing. “A student who is working three 12-hour days a week as a nurse or 24-hour shifts as a paramedic knows how to juggle work life and family life.”

Georgia has 22 technical colleges, and SCTC is the only one with a nursing program on all of its six campuses. Two campuses have LPN programs and two, including Henry County, have ASN programs. The bridge program is currently offered at four locations. In total, SCTC serves eight Georgia counties with nearly 300 nursing students enrolled at SCTC at any given time. About 120 students started in August, according to Adams, attending classes alongside those who began in January.

A key component of the nursing program’s success is its partnership with local medical facilities, providing students with real-world experience that fulfills their degree requirements and prepares them for success going forward. Participating facilities include Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville, Wellstar Spalding Hospital in Griffin, Wellstar Sylvan Grove Hospital in Jackson, and Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston.

Nursing is one field where job placement is nearly guaranteed because of the widespread need. Most students have been offered opportunities by the time they are in their third semester, Adams said, and can move on as soon as they graduate and pass their state board exams. “I would say that about 90 percent of our students already have a job lined up before they graduate, and the other 10 percent are usually planning to continue with their education, perhaps to get a BSN [bachelor of science in nursing] or something else,” said Adams. “We have a big nursing shortage, which means we have to educate more of them and get them ready,” said instructor Brittani Reheiser. “The opportunities are unlike any other field. There are so many types of nursing you can do. We focus on the hospital, but we need public health nurses, school nurses, home health care nurses, and others. There are so many options available.”

SCTC nursing graduates often stay in the area they already call home. “We like to keep our students in the community where they’re working and going to school,” said Adams. “For example, many of the students at the Henry County campus live in Henry. Oftentimes, they will go to Piedmont Henry for their clinicals, and the hospital leadership can see that they are a good fit there. A job offer there is good for the student because his or her home life is there. This keeps our nurses in the local community.”

On the other hand, some students in the bridge program who already have careers will drive two hours or more to an SCTC campus to take advantage of the work-friendly schedule, she added. “I have had students who live near the Alabama state line and will drive over, spend the night here and go to class the next day,” she said. These programs allow local students to achieve lifelong goals.

“I am very excited to enter this career field,” said Raven Williams, a current student on track to graduate next May. “I wanted to help people my whole life. I have wanted to be a nurse since I was a little girl.”

“I am looking forward to graduation,” said Angel Ramos, also set to finish next May. “I’m very excited to be in this program. Nursing is a self-rewarding and self-fulfilling profession. You get to help people on a daily basis.”

Recent federal and state grants have helped SCTC acquire brand-new equipment for its labs to meet the growing demand, as well as salaries for bridge instructors. “I love teaching. I absolutely adore it,” said Reheiser. “I think it is where I am meant to be — getting to share my experiences with them and foster growth is really exciting and rewarding to see.” Visit sctech.edu for more information about Southern Crescent Technical College’s academic offerings.

By Monroe Roark