MILLCREEK, Utah — Due to our aging population and an increase in the number of chronic health conditions, there is a strong demand for licensed practical nurses.
One Utah college is trying to fill that need with a new associate's degree.
The administrators at Fortis College say it’s a streamlined path to achieve a practical nursing degree. In 15 months, graduates will have the ability to gain real-life nursing experience in hospitals or long-term care facilities — all without having to invest the additional time and money required to achieve or registered nursing certificate.
Vanessa Lausch, president of Fortis College in Millcreek, says they’ll be offering the new degree to fill a pressing national need.
“We’re ready to bring on another nursing option for students who are just looking to get into nursing as a career," she said.
Fortis is a specialized career school focused on training students in the fields of HVAC, X-ray tech, dental hygiene and nursing.
Lausch says their new practical nursing program will be a path for students who are interested in becoming a nurse, and it will appeal to those who might not have the time and money needed to embark on a bachelor's degree in nursing.
“Which can become very expensive because you’ve got to take prerequisite courses; you are not even guaranteed that you’re accepted into the nursing program until you’re several years into your education," she said.
Nicole Webb, director of admissions at Fortis, says beginning next January, the college will offer the 15-month program that includes classroom and virtual studying, along with hands-on simulation lab training.
“Once they complete their licensed practical learning, there’s opportunities out there. They can work in the hospital settings, they can work in emergency rooms, they can even do long-term healthcare as well," she said.
Lausch says the struggle to fill nursing jobs is real.
“There is a significant demand out there. We have looked through the Bureau of Labor Statistics and found there is a significant shortage," she said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the registered nursing workforce is expected to expand by 6% over the next 8 to 10 years. The bureau also projects more than 193,000 openings for registered nurses each year through 2032 due to retirements and other factors.
Fortis College is currently accepting admissions applications for the new program.
