Hospital, TRC to offer new programs

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and Three Rivers College are working together to better meet the health care needs of the greater Poplar Bluff area. They have partnered to bring new programs to TRC and on site training opportunities at the medical center, which officials say will prepare students for high-demand health care positions locally and beyond.

"Working closely with PBRMC allows us to better know the health care positions, training and expertise most needed in our community and helps ensure our students are trained to meet those needs," Dr. Wesley Payne, president of Three Rivers College, said. "We want our graduates to move quickly and easily into the workforce, and this partnership will help that happen."

Currently, Three Rivers offers practical nurse, a practical nurse-to-registered nurse bridge, registered nurse, paramedic, emergency medical technician, occupational therapy assistant and medical laboratory technician programs in Poplar Bluff. It also offers practical nurse and LPN-RN bridge programs in Sikeston.

After discussions with PBRMC, TRC will add a paramedic-to-registered nurse bridge program and a surgical technician program in 2023. Certification in phlebotomy, nursing assistant (CNA), and medication technician (CMT) also will also be offered.

"Enhancing our existing long-term relationship with the college will benefit Southeast Missouri in meeting the ongoing health care needs," Rick Naegler, PBRMC's CEO said. "As PBRMC continues to grow and add services, it drives the demand for well-trained and qualified health care members. The new programs at TRC give prospective students and future employees many choices for the career path they want to pursue."

The partnership between PBRMC and Three Rivers College will also focus on developing hospital-ready nurses who can quickly orient to hospital procedures and serve patient needs in a more meaningful way.

"We have high-tech simulation labs that give our students a safe way to get hands-on experience," Payne said. "Working more closely with PBRMC will allow us to expand the real-world clinical opportunities we can provide."

"The community is very fortunate to have the expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to support a high-level learning environment right here at Three Rivers College. Adding the on site training capabilities in our hospital and outpatient clinics will give prospective students a robust experience that will ensure their success as future health care workers," added Naegler.

While Payne and Naegler agree about the advantages of the new programs, the college's academic staff who works to train the health care workforce also see benefits.

TRC Chief Academic Officer/Dean of Instruction Dr. Sherry A. Phelan said, "There are benefits for students as a result of this partnership. For example, there is a greater focus on the clinical aspect of nursing in a hospital setting, which allows them to develop hands-on skills in multiple patient care areas. The skill and experience gained will better prepare them as they enter the health care workforce."

Leslie Gragg is department chair for science, math, social science and HPER.

Gragg said this expanded partnership promotes high-quality student engagement and diversifies educational opportunities for students interested in a health care career.

"Our students will now be able to choose from a larger variety of health care pathways, based on what is most suitable and interesting to them," Gragg said. "These new options will contain a large amount of hands-on training and promote students getting into the workforce quickly."

Laura McElroy is the college's director of nursing program/instructor over the RN program.

"Our goal is to care for our community with the best graduates," she said. "By partnering with PBRMC, we will enhance our students' experiences and give them the best chance for success while meeting the community's need for more diverse health professionals. We will also be providing needs beyond nursing such as surgical technology which is near and dear to my heart as I was a graduate of the surgical technology program."

Andrea Pierce is the TRC director of practical nursing program/practical nursing instructor.

"We at TRC are very excited about this opportunity to partner with PBRMC," Pierce said. "We live in a small, tight-knit community. It is very important to us that the members of our community have great health care, and we realize that starts with training. By partnering with PBRMC, we believe that, together we can put forth nurses that are fully trained, and comfortable with the care environment many of them will begin their nursing careers in."

With this partnership, students will have many opportunities to experience various areas of health care, according to Pierce.

"Developing new nurses who are comfortable in their new roles is one of our top priorities. Through the partnership, our students will not only be exposed to more clinical opportunities than they have had, they will begin to develop relationships with the leadership and staff of PBRMC early in their nursing school careers," she said.

TRC hopes that through the partnership, the staff at PBRMC will become part of its education team in the clinical setting. Allowing students to learn from nurses that are on the front lines of health care every day benefits students tremendously, Pierce said.

"We are also excited to bring some new, much-needed programs to our community with the paramedic-RN bridge and surgical tech programs specifically," Pierce said. "There is a need for these programs in our community and we want to be able to fulfill those needs in our local hospital."