The Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program is recruiting new students at a time when there is a local and national need for licensed practical nurses.
Herkimer BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program Interim Coordinator Sara Nicolette recently returned after nearly a year of retirement to help with recruiting during this important time for finding LPNs.
“Right now, the need for LPNs is greater than it’s ever been,” Nicolette said, adding that Herkimer BOCES can help local adults quickly transition into an LPN job. “It is the fastest way into healthcare. We can never say 100%, but it’s pretty close to that: If you want to work, you’ll have a job.”
A large variety of local healthcare providers and organizations are hoping to hire LPNs, and many of them will be represented at the LPN program’s job fair on June 12, Nicolette said.
“We get calls on a regular basis from people who are looking for LPNs for their office practice,” Nicolette said. “At our upcoming job fair, there will be representatives from the Wynn Hospital, where LPNs have been fully integrated into acute care settings, and we are anticipating the same at Little Falls Hospital and Bassett. Our graduates also work as travelers, work in dialysis, do in-home care and work in skilled nursing facilities.”
The Herkimer BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program offers three different options for receiving an education to become an LPN: a 12-month full-time class, a 20-month part-time day class and a 20-month part-time evening class.
To apply, call 315-867-2206 to schedule an entrance exam. You can also submit an interest form at www.herkimer-boces.org/forms/lpn or find out more info at www.herkimer-boces.org/lpn.
The next full-time class starts in July. To join this class, contact Herkimer BOCES and submit your application, two references and high school transcript or GED by May 15 in order to complete your KNAT admissions test by May 30 and be ready for orientation on June 5.
There is more time if you’re applying for the next part-time day or part-time evening classes, which start in September. For either of the part-time classes, you must complete the application process and admissions testing by the end of July to be ready for orientation on Aug. 8.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program Interim Coordinator Sara Nicolette poses for a photo as adult nursing students work behind her in one of the labs at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center in Herkimer.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program Interim Coordinator Sara Nicolette sits at her desk at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center in Herkimer. Nicolette recently came out of retirement to help with recruiting for licensed practical nurses.