The Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program is starting off this school year with 96 students enrolled – a more than 35% increase from the 71 students at the start of last school year.
New Herkimer BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program Coordinator Marcia Thomas-Bruce attributes the increase in enrollment to the growing need for licensed practical nurses in a variety of healthcare settings.
“I think that healthcare is an in-demand career field right now,” Thomas-Bruce said. “People want a job that’s going to make a difference and allow them to support their families, and there are a lot of opportunities out there. For LPNs, they’re putting them in the hospitals in acute care and wherever they’re needed. The facilities are now able to pay them what they’re worth, so that’s attracting a lot more people.”
The Herkimer BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program offers three different options to local adults: a 12-month full-time class, a 20-month part-time day class and a 20-month part-time evening class. The program trains students to work as LPNs and/or continue their education in healthcare.
It’s a time of change for the program with an increase in enrollment, the program entering its second year in its new location in the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center on the second floor of the Arc Herkimer building at 420 E. German St. in Herkimer and Thomas-Bruce being appointed as the new program coordinator at the July 11 Herkimer BOCES Board of Education meeting.
“It’s very invigorating actually,” Thomas-Bruce said. “We have an exciting number of students. It’s amazing.”
‘All hands on deck’
With the increase in enrollment and other adjustments, the program also faces a need for more teachers. Multiple full-time LPN teachers are needed, and multiple adjunct faculty are needed to work as clinical supervisors to support Herkimer BOCES adult LPN students gain experience at local healthcare facilities. The program also is in search of a full-time financial aid clerk.
“We want people to join our team,” Thomas-Bruce said. “We’ve had a lot of changes, but we work really well as a team.”
Clinical supervisors, who are required to be registered nurses, can be doing full-time work in a local healthcare facility and do part-time work as adjunct faculty supporting LPN students, Thomas-Bruce said.
People working in those positions help students with their clinical experiences in local healthcare facilities that could lead students to jobs continuing on at those facilities, Thomas-Bruce said.
“That could be a potential employer for them,” she said. “They gain valuable experience in different clinical settings. We definitely need people because it’s important to train our nurses to be successful, and we need multiple places for clinicals for that to happen.”
Anyone interested in working for the Herkimer BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program, can find information and apply through www.herkimer-boces.org/lpnjobs or can call Thomas-Bruce for information at 315-867-2209.
Until more LPN teachers are hired, Thomas-Bruce, who was a full-time teacher before recently becoming program coordinator, will continue teaching while serving as program coordinator. Sara Nicolette, who previously retired as program coordinator and returned as an interim for a few months until Thomas-Bruce took over, will also continue to contribute for now by teaching medical surgical nursing in the evenings.
“It’s all hands on deck right now to support our growing number of students as they prepare to become the next generation of nurses,” Thomas-Bruce said.
Herkimer BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program enrollment at the start of the school year:
2023-24:
Full-time: 9
Part-time day first year: 23
Part-time evening first year: 17
Part-time day second year: 9
Part-time evening second year: 13
Total: 71
2024-25:
Full-time: 13
Part-time day first year: 31
Part-time evening first year: 23
Part-time day second year: 19
Part-time evening second year: 10
Total: 96
A more than 35% increase!
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program Adult Practical Nursing Program Coordinator Marcia Thomas-Bruce teaches students in the program’s full-time class on Thursday, Aug. 1, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center in Herkimer:
