FYI: Quincy Herald Whig

Hannibal-LaGrange College put plans to expand its nursing program on fast-forward after learning that John Wood Community College in Quincy, Ill., will no longer offer a two-year degree in nursing.

JWCC has announced last week that it plans to suspend its Associate Degree in Nursing program and encourage the 19 students who signed up for fall classes to take its Licensed Practical Nurse program instead. Students already working toward their ADN will be allowed to continue.

“We felt like this was an opportunity for us to reach out to the community and say we’re here to help,” said Anne Riggs, director of nursing and allied health at HLG.

HLG has asked the Missouri State Board of Nursing to consider its application to add 10 slots to its Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program for fall enrollment. There are already 41 first-year students enrolled and 33 moving into their second year.

A “wait list” has been started, Riggs said. Students may enroll up to the first day of class, and HLG is encouraging those interested to enroll and be placed on the list. They’ll be placed in class as openings become available.

Riggs said she had “no guarantee” that the expansion would be approved for fall, but she was confident that the college’s application would be considered this summer.

“Unfortunately, they’re probably going to run into (uncertainty) no matter where they look,” she said.

The expansion will require the addition of four or five more clinical faculty to maintain the student-teacher ratio the board requires, Riggs said. There are seven full-time and six adjunct faculty at HLG, and more may be added along with another 10 slots for students in the next few years, she said.

Riggs said there is little difference between the ASN offered at HLG and the ADN that JWCC granted.

“The bottom line is that they come out with a two-year degree that allows them to sit for the national licensure exam,” Riggs said.

HLG’s two-year ASN program consists of four academic semesters, combining liberal arts and nursing courses. The student is exposed to a variety of academic and clinical settings. The program has had a 97 percent pass rate for first-time test takers on the licensing exam for the past five years.

HLG is working on plans to expand its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) completion program and is developing an off-campus Licensed Practical Nurse to ASN bridge degree program at the Pike-Lincoln Technical Center in Eolia.

The HLG Nursing Program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. In addition, the college is also accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

For more information, contact Riggs at (573) 629-3143, or Darcia Miller, nursing recruiter/adviser, at (573) 629-3141.