More than 130 adults are looking to change their careers or bolster their employability this fall through the Capital Region BOCES Adult Practical Nursing program.
The adults range from those fresh out of high school to those looking to launch a new career, as well as those looking to climb the nursing career ladder, said Paula Negri, director of Health Careers and Services.
“We are excited to welcome such a diverse and ambitious group of students to our program. We look forward to giving them the tools and knowledge they need to not only succeed, but excel in the nursing profession,” said Negri.
The students are enrolled in the full-time Adult Practical Nursing program. Among those enrolled in the program is Albany resident Taejhan Fairloth.
“I have been working in healthcare for six years, and I have always enjoyed helping people so it was time for a change,” he said.
Fellow Albany resident Ndea Tibbs said she enrolled not only to climb the healthcare industry ladder, but to help her son and others like him.
“My son has sickle cell so I wanted to learn more about how to care for him and others,” she said.
For Laurie Curry of Troy, the decision to enroll in the program was also two-fold.
“I have been a CNA [Certified Nurse Assistant] for 20 years and I decided it was time [to advance my career]. My daughter [Leeah Grady of Albany] is enrolled in the program too, so I thought I could show her that it’s never too late in your life to make improvements,” Curry said.
As has been widely publicized, demand is high for nurses, and local institutions have renewed their efforts to work with schools, such as Capital Region BOCES, to meet their needs.
Vincent D’Angelo, a nursing administrator at Albany Medical, said last year that the BOCES program offers a great opportunity for healthcare institutions who are facing a “big need for new hires across the board.”
“It’s a great program because you get a lot of variety in the graduates and in what they want. Some want to be on the floor, others in outpatient practice, others elsewhere,” he said earlier this year.
The full-time Adult Practical Nursing (APN) program at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center – Albany Campus continues into June when the program will graduate its students into the world of being a licensed practical nurse (LPN). The New York state-approved program encompasses 1,100 hours of classroom and clinical study and practice and prepares students to take the National Council Licensure Examination and apply to become a New York state LPN.
For more information on Adult Health Careers offerings, call 518-862-4709 or email healthcareers@neric.org.