Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Sixty-one years after its founding, the CCIU Practical Nursing Program continues to provide vitally needed LPNs for Chester County
Sixty-one years after its founding, the CCIU Practical Nursing Program continues to provide vitally needed LPNs for Chester County.
The Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) Practical Nursing Program (PNP) has had a long tradition of training Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN). The program, which began 61 years ago, has offered a new start for those in Chester County looking to enter the health care field.
When it comes to PNP, there is no such thing as a typical student. Some students enter the program having previously worked in the health care field, and others enter the program with no health care experience at all. There are students who enroll right out of college, while others have worked for decades before deciding that they want to start a new career. While each student has a different reason for enrolling, the variety of life and career experiences helps to enrich the program.
Lei Li is a December 2017 graduate of PNP’s class 121 who had spent 11 years working in the financial services industry before enrolling in PNP.
“When the recession hit, I realized I needed to find a new career, and I’ve always been interested in health care,” Li said.
After deciding that he wanted to work in health care, Li started to research LPN programs around the region. He decided to look into becoming an LPN because it was more cost-effective and could be completed in a much shorter time frame than it would take to become a Registered Nurse (RN).
“I came in to check out PNP because it was much more affordable than going for an RN and it would allow me to start working sooner. I met with a PNP representative, and she made me feel welcome and helped walk me through the process of getting enrolled. I was definitely nervous because it had been so long since I had last been in school. It was difficult at first, even though I have a background in biology, but PNP gave me the tools to succeed. Once I got into a routine, I realized that while this is a rigorous program, it is definitely doable if you are willing to work hard,” said Li.
According to the Pennsylvania Association of Practical Nursing Administrators, a 6 percent shortage of LPNs is projected for Pennsylvania by 2025. Simultaneously, the same report projects the demand for LPNs will increase by 16 percent by 2025. Although the growing demand for LPNs may be news to those outside of the health care industry, PNP students who have previously worked in the health care industry made the decision to enroll because they recognized the shortage.
Kristen Durnall, a fulltime student in PNP’s class 122 that graduates in March 2018, saw the growing demand for LPNs after spending 11 years in the health care industry.
“After being a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for 11 years, I wanted to advance my career. I had a friend that graduated from PNP who recommended it to me. I did some research, and after comparing PNP to other programs in the region, I felt it had more to offer. The rigorous approach and handson experience that this program builds into the curriculum helped me decide this was the program for me,” said Durnall.
Not only does PNP represent a career change for students, but it also offers an opportunity to improve the overall quality-of-life for students. The PA Association of Practical Nursing Administrators reports that, on average, an LPN in Pennsylvania makes a starting salary of $44,408 per year.
“As a mother of four children all under the age of 13, it was definitely a struggle to balance school, work and life, but the reason I am here is for my kids. They have made all the long days and late nights worthwhile. My family, my classmates and my instructors have been an incredible support system. With their help, I will be graduating in the spring of 2018 with a job offer in hand as an LPN from my current employer! My eventual goal is to get my RN, and this has set me up well to attain that goal in the future,” said Durnall.
The variety of student experiences before entering PNP sometimes includes those who were previously enrolled in an LPN program at another institution, but didn’t finish for a variety of reasons. For these students, PNP offers an opportunity to complete their education in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Laurie Kobylarz, who graduated from PNP in December 2017, enrolled in a different LPN program in 2011.
“I was a medication technician in West Chester before I enrolled in PNP. I had actually started an LPN program at another institution in 2011, but I didn’t stick with it and eventually dropped out. I knew I always wanted to become an LPN, but after it didn’t work out in my other program, I was nervous. My best friend had been in the PNP program, so I decided to give it another shot, and I am so glad I did,” said Kobylarz.
One of the defining features of the PNP experience is that students spend approximately 800 hours gaining clinical and lab experience.
For Kobylarz, this experience was vital in her decision to enroll in PNP six years after starting an LPN program at another institution.
“Every day is different, but I know that I am getting a solid foundation for my future as an LPN. Through this program and all of our placements in various clinical rotations, I now know beyond a doubt that I want to work in geriatrics. In hindsight, I really wish I would have completed this program years ago,” said Kobylarz.
Not only are LPNs in high demand, but according to the PA Association of Practical Nursing Administrators, 90 percent of LPNs in Pennsylvania report that they like what they do.
When asked about her advice to those thinking about enrolling, Kobylarz said, “My advice to anyone thinking about applying for PNP is that you have to just do it. There is no way to know what tomorrow will bring, but I can say for sure that this program is putting me in a better position to deal with whatever comes than before I started in the program. Take a chance and go for it!”
The Practical Nursing Program was established in 1957 through the West Chester State Teachers College in partnership with Chester County Hospital. In 1968, the Central Chester County Technical School assumed responsibility for the administrative and educational components of the Practical Nursing Program.
The Central Chester County Technical School was renamed the Center for Arts and Technology (CAT) and joined the Chester County Intermediate Unit in the late ’80s.
The Center for Arts and Technology (CAT) Practical Nursing Program celebrated its 50th anniversary on Nov. 1, 2007. Shortly thereafter, the program moved to the newly opened Technical College High School (TCHS) Pennock’s Bridge Campus in West Grove in 2008.
In 2012, the program made a final move to the TCHS Brandywine Campus and the program’s name changed to Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) Practical Nursing Program (PNP).
Chester County Intermediate Unit Practical Nursing Program (formerly CAT B PNP) will be hosting a site review for continuing accreditation by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). You are invited to meet the site visit team and share your comments about the program in person at a meeting scheduled on Feb. 21, 2018, from 9 to 10 a.m. at CCIU PNP, 443 Boot Road, Downingtown, PA 19335.
Written comments are also welcome and should be submitted directly to:
Dr. Marsal Stoll, Chief Executive Officer
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850 Atlanta, GA 30326 Or email: mstoll@acenursing.org
All written comments should be received by the ACEN by Feb. 14, 2018.
To learn more about the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s Practical Nursing Program, visit www.chestercountynursing.org.
For more information about TCHS, visit www.technicalcollegehighschool.org.