Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
QCS Senior Writer
A federal grant of more than $550,000 will enable Mesalands Community College to offer a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and phlebotomy program next year, college officials said.The grant is from the Trade Adjustment Assistant Community College and Career Training competitive grant program, co-administered by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education.
“We hope by offering these additional programs that we will attract more students,” said Natalie Gillard, vice president of academic affairs.
“These are programs in high-demand health fields that are continuously growing. They provide credentialing for our students, they are a stepping stone to a bachelor of science (degree) in nursing, they help our local health employers, and provide additional employment opportunities for our students.”
The courses at Mesalands would also be beneficial to the students who choose to continue their health career education at nearby institutions, including Clovis Community College.
CCC offers licensed practical nurse (LPN) and registered nurse (RN) associate degrees, as well as health care assistant courses.
“A student who transfers from another program such as the CNA program at Mesalands would enter our programs with a stronger foundation in the nursing field,” said Shawna McGill, nursing program director at CCC.
The Mesalands CNA program is returning after an absence of 10 years, Gillard said.
Mesalands will partner with Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital to develop the program, Gillard said. The program will offer both certification and an associate’s degree in 16 weeks, she said.
Thomas W. Newsom, Mesalands’ president, said the grant will fund curriculum development, an instructor’s salary, equipment purchases and a lab on campus for the program.
Newsom said Mesalands was one of 11 New Mexico colleges to receive funding from the trade adjustment grant program.
“It is pretty impressive that Mesalands Community College was among 260 community colleges in the nation selected for this career training program,” said Newsom. “This program will allow our college to offer more educational and career opportunities for our students, while having a positive impact on our local, regional, and statewide economy.”
Newsom said he hopes that after its first year, the program will be able to sustain itself and open the door to expansion of health care-related courses offered at Mesalands.
Newsom said Mesalands is working to meet a nationwide goal strongly supported by Vice President Joe Biden to ensure that graduating students are career ready. He said studies show that six of every 10 new jobs created will require post-high school education.
Newsom said with the grant, Mesalands has joined New Mexico colleges and universities focused on information technology and health related industries. He said the grant is also aligned with New Mexico’s Skill Up Network Pathway initiative whose goals are to expand and improve the delivery of health-care career pathways, increase graduation rates, and align educational requirements with employers’ needs.
Clovis Community College’s McGill, who chairs the college’s Allied Health Division that oversees all of health courses at CCC, said demand for nursing skills is growing. She said CCC teaches those skills for eastern New Mexico and west Texas, including Amarillo and Lubbock.
With an LPN associate’s degree, she said, a graduate can go to work for home health agencies and nursing homes. With an RN, a graduate can find work in hospitals all over New Mexico and Texas.
McGill said CCC works with Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis to provide clinical experience for students. PRMC staff also serve on CCC’s health program advisory board, which provides feedback to the CCC program.
McGill said she has seen a constant stream of students enrolling in health care courses at CCC. Some come from the military population from Cannon Air Force Base. The spouses of Air Force personnel earn RN associate’s degrees and can find work when Air Force members are transferred.
McGill said the health care assistant class is a six-credit, one-semester course that will give students basic skills for some health care fields, but she said she always encourages students to pursue associate’s degrees and even to advance to other institutions to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing.
