EAST HARTFORD – Stone Academy, a school with branches in Hamden and Waterbury, has received approval from Connecticut’s Department of Higher Education, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, and conditional approval from the Connecticut Nursing Board of Governors to offer a Licensed Practical Nursing Program in East Hartford.
The program, at 403 Main Street, will help fill a severe nursing shortage in Connecticut. Graduates are eligible to become Licensed Practical Nurses, or LPNs, and can continue their education to become Registered Nurses (RNs.)
“The demand for nurses is not diminishing, and it’s a very viable and promising career,” Tierney said. “We are very pleased to be offering this program in East Hartford.”
Stone graduates wishing to become Registered Nurses (RNs) may receive 12 to 16 credits towards their associate’s degree or diploma at one of many participating schools due to Stone’s participation in a statewide articulation plan. Nearby Goodwin College is one such school.
Helping fill statewide shortage
A recent report to the legislature by the Allied Health Workforce Policy Board warns of a severe nursing shortage in Connecticut that will only get worse given the existing number of nursing schools and spots available for students. The allied health occupation with the highest employment level is RNs, the Board reports, with a 15% increase in jobs projected for 2012. The current shortage of full-time nurses is 6,400, or 20% less than is needed based on current demand; unchecked, the shortage will grow to a 57% shortage, of 22,400 jobs, by 2020.
Alice Pritchard, Executive Director of the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund and primary author of the report, said programs such as Stone’s, which offer part-time courses of study and flexibility for working students, are critical to meet the growing need.
“They are innovative and flexible, and they are meeting the needs of the workers as well as the workforce,” she said. “They show high energy and enthusiasm in finding ways to meet the nursing shortage.”
The report notes that part-time enrollment in the state community college system rose from 25% to 35% from 1998-2005. Additionally, 172 qualified applicants were denied enrollment in the community college system between fall 2003 and 2005 due to lack of slots. Total enrollment was 876.
In a post-graduate program of the Connecticut Technical High School System, a total of 1,000 qualified applicants to an affordable LPN program were turned away due to lack of program slots, according to the report.
The report also warns of a “disjointed career ladders” caused by limited wage gains without substantial additional education, and limited ability to transfer credits between schools and programs.
Toni Fatone, Executive Vice President of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, was supportive of the expansion, and of Stone’s flexible and personalized program.
“To me, Stone and this program embody the future of nursing education,” she said. “We try to be more flexible and diverse in meeting the needs of students to help ease the growing nursing shortage. The program’s flexibility makes it possible for many working people.”
Stone Academy has been offering day and evening courses for LPNs at its Hamden location since January 2005. Graduates of this program are eligible to sit, upon graduation, for the Connecticut NCLEX-PN licensing examination and assume positions in the health care system as licensed practical nurses.
Stone also offers courses in Waterbury and Hamden. Programs include Medical Assistant, Patient Care Associate, and English as a Second Language.
The Nursing Board of Governors conditionally approved Stone Academy’s plans to start 40 day and 40 evening students in East Hartford in September.
The Licensed Practical Nurse program will prepare and assist students in acquiring the basic knowledge and skills necessary to be hired into an entry-level position as a Practical Nurse. This program develops the student’s knowledge base and skills by providing a theoretical foundation and by developing the student’s ability to perform clinical procedures. Training is provided by a balance of lecture, lab, and clinical components. For information, please call 1-800-585-1315.
Local, State Officials Pleased
East Hartford Mayor Melody Currey said Stone, and all institutions of higher education, are welcome.
“This is a great blend for students – to be on the bus line, to get an education, and to hopefully transition to some of the local job opportunities here in town,” she said. “I think it’s wonderful for the community.
“These are jobs that allow people to make a good living and really improve their lives,” she added.
Connecticut State Representative Sonny Googins, R-Glastonbury, a member of the legislature’s higher education and workforce committees, praised Stone’s efforts.
“It’s great to see something like this that’s working,” she said ‘They are a real partner in filling the need in the allied health field.”
Stone Academy has provided students with a career-oriented business education for more than a century. Stone Academy’s main campus is located at 1315 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden. The branch campus is located at 101 Pierpont Road in Waterbury, and houses an on-site Head Start child-care center operated by New Opportunities for Waterbury, Inc.
The Stone Academy campuses are handicapped accessible.
