This semester, the ECTC nursing program welcomed 40 first-semester nursing students — the largest group of new nursing students in college history.
Clinical sites determine the number of students the Kentucky Board of Nursing allows ECTC to accommodate, and clinical sites have increased each semester lately.
“The community has really accepted us with open arms and really wants the students to see all aspects of nursing, not just acute care,” said Nursing Program Director Sandie Marques, who is starting her third semester leading the program.
ECTC nursing students are now learning in the following facilities: Baptist Health Hardin, Owensboro Twin Lakes, Grayson County Health Department, Fort Knox, Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health, Cancer Care Center, out-patient nursing services, diabetic education and palliative care. Two hospitals and possibly a dialysis center will be added to clinical sites in the spring.
Previously, the program was capped at 36 students.
As healthcare providers continue to struggle with nurse shortages, accepting more students into the nursing program is an important step, and the goal is to see them graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed as registered nurses.
During the last two semesters, every nursing student who started their fourth semester completed the program and graduated. The program has implemented several practices to help students including study hall, open lab hours and no high-stakes testing.
Nursing students are admitted to the program after completing prerequisite classes, and it is a competitive process. For Fall 2022, 40 new students were selected from 85 viable applicants.
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