Alabama Community College System looking to expand health science programs
Alabama Community College System news conference in Montgomery, Wednesday, January 15, 2024 – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News
The Alabama Community College System announced Wednesday that it wants to expand its health science offerings across the state’s community colleges this year.
It showcased the new Nursing Support Technician-Certified option at a news conference in Montgomery.
“The Alabama Community College System constantly fulfills the needs of our business and industry partners and producing highly skilled individuals for the healthcare field is imperative. The opportunities we’re featuring today demonstrate the desire we have must make higher education accessible and attainable for all,” said ACCS Chancellor Jimmy H. Baker.
Nursing support technicians are needed in every hospital, healthcare facility, home health and in numerous patient care organizations throughout the state, ACCS officials say. These workers, making up 12,000-14,000 nursing support staff in Alabama, draw blood, help with respiratory care and other nursing functions.
The Alabama Board of Nursing announced the new nursing credential last week, aiming to fill more than 2,000 job openings statewide.
“For the past 10 years, the Alabama Board of Nursing has been committed to leading the way for a nation facing an ongoing nursing shortage,” said Peggy Benson, Executive Officer for the Alabama Board of Nursing. “The NST-C gives us an opportunity to lead and create a dynamic shift in the nursing industry, and we are proud to explore creative, innovative and sound approaches to address the industry’s toughest challenges.”
The NST-C program is designed for people wanting to help nurses as a multi-disciplinary technical worker, trained to provide basic nursing assistant care.
The ACCS says its Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) grant program is another that’s building momentum. There are 22 LPN programs, either standalone or LPN to RN mobility, or allied health/military medic to LPN bridge programs, offered at ACCS institutions.
Fourteen 14 ACCS colleges featured registered LPN nursing apprenticeship with 62 employers across seven workforce regions, and overall, the ACCS has experienced a 150 percent increase in dual enrollment since 2015.
— Information from the Alabama Community College System
