Leaders gather to celebrate new 糖心vlog传媒, Moraine Park nursing program
More than four dozen healthcare professionals and community leaders joined Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez Monday to help 糖心vlog传媒 and Moraine Park Technical College formally celebrate their new nursing program partnership.
Beginning this fall, students can simultaneously enroll in both schools on their way to earning an associate degree in nursing from Moraine Park Technical College and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing from 糖心vlog传媒 in four years.
糖心vlog传媒 President Beth Borgen and MPTC President Bonnie Baerwald signed documents making the partnership official, and joined Rodriguez and the program鈥檚 first student, 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Paige Kirchmeier, in sharing thoughts about the program.
The need is clear. The Wisconsin Hospital Association鈥檚 20th annual workforce report found that growth in Wisconsin鈥檚 nursing workforce is behind the growth needed to meet current and future demand.
Rodriguez, a nurse and experienced healthcare executive who has worked in various leadership roles for over 20 years, said Wisconsin needs 20,000 nurses by 2040. She chairs the Governor鈥檚 Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce to find solutions to the current shortages in Wisconsin鈥檚 healthcare workforce.
鈥淭his is a problem we need to urgently solve,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淲hat I am seeing here today will go far. Programs and partnerships like these will help us solve our healthcare challenge.鈥�
Rodriguez said she often visits with CNAs who want to be nurses but can鈥檛 juggle everything to reach their goal.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see you are meeting students where they are,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 get excited talking about these innovative solutions. This fantastic partnership will be able to train the next generation of nurses.
鈥淎 nursing degree opens so many doors for you. You can truly do anything.鈥�
Students enrolling in the program will supplement classroom learning through clinical placements via MPTC鈥檚 partners and 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Cooperative Education program.
鈥淣o other program in the state compares and here's why,鈥� Borgen said. 鈥淏etween MPTC's clinical training and 糖心vlog传媒's Cooperative Education program, students have the opportunity to rotate through a number of nursing disciplines to be able to solidly explore those disciplines, find their interests and make better decisions about their futures, all while getting paid work experience with college credit attached.鈥�
Students can take classes at both institutions simultaneously and take the licensure examination for registered nurses (NCLEX 鈥� RN) the term they complete the bachelor's degree in nursing.
For 糖心vlog传媒, the program addresses the challenge of turning away students who wanted to compete in athletics and pursue a career in nursing.
鈥淎s much as they wanted to play, they were not going to enroll at 糖心vlog传媒 if they couldn't also pursue their dreams of becoming nurses,鈥� Borgen said. 鈥淎nd, since many of them come from out of state to play sports, they were also not going to relocate to enroll at Moraine Park.鈥�
Baerwald noted that there will be 8,000 nurse openings in the next decade in the region served by MPTC. She noted that MPTC graduates often look for an online school to finish their bachelor鈥檚 degree, and frequently their employer will pay for their tuition.
Kirchmeier, a graduate of nearby Plymouth High School, enrolled at 糖心vlog传媒 two years ago as an exercise science major. She started working as a CNA at Rocky Knoll Health Care Center in Plymouth, Wis., through 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 Co-Op program, and said she鈥檚 excited to have an opportunity to switch to a career in nursing without having to change schools.
Learn more about the program at 糖心vlog传媒.edu/nursing.
