4 minute read
A Field of Opportunity
by lcstate
LC State nursing program increases space for students to pursue flexible and in-demand health care careers.
By Tara Roberts
Two nurses work at the bedside of a hospitalized man. They assess his heart and lungs, then start IV fluids. A nervous family member waits in the corner, occasionally asking questions.
It’s a familiar scenario — and in this case, it’s a simulation.
The nurses are students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing pre-licensure track at Lewis-Clark State College. The hospital room is in the simulation lab in Sacajawea Hall, and the patient is a high-fidelity mannequin, complete with realistic vital signs and bodily functions. The family member is an LC State theater student.
The students’ classmates and an instructor observe from a control room. When the scenario is over, the group gathers to discuss the challenges the students encountered, the effective interventions, and what they may consider doing differently next time.
The most important part of simulation is the supportive learning space it provides, said Dr. Krista Harwick, Associate Dean, School of Professional Studies/Nursing and Health Sciences.
“It’s a safe place, because we want them to learn from the experiences in this setting,” Harwick said. “If they make a mistake, it is a learning opportunity for them and the other students in their small group. The goal is the experiential knowledge learned in simulation will prevent future mistakes during patient interactions.”
Alongside classes, clinical rotations, and other training, the simulation lab is among the ways the LC State nursing program prepares students to hit the ground running after graduation. Communities across the United States — and especially in Idaho — are in dire need of well-trained nurses, and the college is responding.
Room To Grow
The nursing program has been adding capacity to its pre-licensure track since 2009, when Sacajawea Hall opened and the program added a spring cohort, doubling the available seats from 40 to 80 annually. The program made another leap in fall 2022, increasing available seats to 60 per semester, 120 per year. This expansion has opened an opportunity to recruit more students from Idaho and beyond.
Elaina Penney graduated with her BSN in May 2023 and went straight to work in the intensive care unit at Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene. She wanted a career in healthcare so she could help people and make a difference in the world. At LC State, she said, she found an affordable program with professors who cared about her and helped her focus on her goals.
“You can tell that they’ve put a lot of work into creating something that’s going to set you up for success in the future,” Penney said. “It’s not like they’re just trying to get you through the tests. They want you to have real-world knowledge that you can work with once you’re out there in the field.”
LC State nursing students consistently pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered nurses at a higher rate than the national average, Harwick said.
The program’s NCLEX firsttime pass rates are the top in
Four Tracks to a BSN
Pre-licensure: the state for public and private four-year institutions, which has contributed to RegisteredNursing.org naming LC State the best nursing program among fouryear institutions in Idaho.
The BSN program was recently named the top nursing school in the state of Idaho for 2023 by Nurse.org. The program has also received national accolades for its RN to BSN track.
“I think we have the right balance of rigor and support along the way to prepare students to be successful, both passing the NCLEX and also to be a practicing nurse — to come out with a solid foundation and be able to go into any area of nursing,” Harwick said.
Places To Go
LC State BSN graduates are able to find employment and usually have job offers before graduation, Harwick said. Their options go beyond clinics or hospitals.
“I believe that nursing is probably one of the most versatile fields of opportunity that exists,” she said. “Aside from acute care
After completing two years of prerequisites, students apply to enter the foursemester, on-campus nursing program
RN to BSN: This flexible, fully online track is tailored to nurses who already have their registered nurse license
LPN to BSN: Licensed practical nurses can take this foursemester, on-campus track to a bachelor’s
CC to BSN: Students at select Idaho community colleges take online BSN courses while earning their associate degree nursing, there are public health nurses, there are nurses that work for insurance companies and work on wellness initiatives. There are nurses that work in informatics, so they help build the computer systems that are used in health care.”
Nurses can also easily move between specialties and locations.
“We will always need nurses,” Harwick said. “There obviously is a shortage right now. So really, graduates have their selection of where they want to go.”
