HEALTHY & SECURE
A GLIMPSE INTO NORTHLAND NURSING. Everyday more and more nurses are reaching retirement age in Minnesota and as they retire, the need for skilled nurses increases dramatically. Well-qualified nurses are in high demand throughout the state but nowhere is this more evident than in northwest Minnesota. The regional employment outlook is calling for over a 20 percent increase of nurses between 2009 and 2019. With the increasing nursing shortage looming in the next ten years, employers are desperately searching for workers to fill their ranks. Northland Community & Technical College is at the forefront of producing highly employable nurses. “Nurses comprise the largest singe component of hospital staff, are the primary providers of hospital patient care, and deliver most of the nation’s long-term care,” mentioned instructor Diane Scott. Northland offers several different nursing education programs from practical to registered nursing. “Northland offers mobility and portability,” said instructor Kari Koenig. “Students can step out and work as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for awhile before continuing on to the Associates Degree (AD) program. Or, they can articulate directly into the Registered Nursing (RN) program. The Practical Nursing (PN) program offers distance education, and the AD program offers block scheduling, making it easier to adapt their education schedules to their work schedules. Both programs also offer parttime and fulltime options,” she added. Classes focus on individualized education and hands-on training. Students can expect an 11 to 1 student to faculty ratio. These small class sizes are vital as they allow students to have open discussions with their instructors and peers. “Northland’s program does an excellent job to help nurses learn to combine knowledge with practice,” stated a Northland graduate. Caring faculty who are seasoned and experienced that come from diverse backgrounds help students immerse themselves in learning.
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