Southeast Hospital College of Nursing & Health sciences Offers New Options

Three new programs at Southeast Hospital College of Nursing & Health Sciences will give additional career options to students interested in healthcare. All three will be offered beginning in August.

The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools has approved the addition of:

* Clinical Laboratory Assistant (CLA)

* Associate of Arts in Allied Health

* Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

The one-year Clinical Lab Assistant program is designed to prepare students for an entry-level position in clinical lab settings such as medical centers and outpatient laboratory facilities.

A clinical laboratory assistant plays a supporting role in preparing and testing specimens in a medical lab, said Sherry Schloss, CLA program director. "Increased demand for clinical lab assistants is expected in response to the medical needs of our nation's growing elderly population." She noted that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of clinical lab technicians will grow by 30 percent from 2012 to 2022.

The Associate of Arts Degree in Allied Health is an attractive option for those who want to work in allied health settings but do not necessarily want to work directly with patients. The two-year program prepares students for positions including customer service, administration, insurance coding and billing and transcription services.

Programs of this nature have been described as "healthcare without needles," said Dr. Leon Book, Dean of General Education/AA Degree program director. "These positions afford the stability and durability of the healthcare industry but are service-oriented or administrative. Because graduates of the program will know all the science required of nurses as well as imaging, laboratory and surgical technologists, they will be well prepared to support their direct-care coworkers in collective efforts." Book said the program also facilitates the transfer of credits to four-year institutions for those who want to further enhance their career path.

The RN to BSN program offers a two-year track and a one-year accelerated track. The curriculum is designed to augment knowledge of individuals with an associate degree in nursing who are licensed as registered nurses.

Dean of Nursing Dr. Donna Shirrell explained the BSN Program "will focus on enhancing and developing communication, use of informatics and technology, critical thinking, leadership and management, interpretation of statistics and integration of research findings in nursing practice." The program will utilize a blended learning format with both online and classroom learning experiences, something Shirrell said students have been requesting.

College President Dr. Tonya Buttry said the three new programs "are intended to provide additional educational opportunities for individuals in our community who want to either enter the healthcare environment or expand upon their existing healthcare education and experiences. These programs are a natural fit for our college and its mission."

Since graduating its first class in 1992 with 15 students, 1,246 graduates of the college have been placed in the healthcare workforce.

The college now offers multiple healthcare program opportunities including LPN to RN, Paramedic to RN, LPN to BSN, ADN to BSN, Clinical lab Assistant, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Radiologic Technology, Surgical Technology and an Associate of Arts in Allied Health as well as a Master's of Science in Nursing through a partnership with Cox College in Springfield, Mo.