2007 Nursing Grads to be Recognized
More nursing grads are needed to ease shortage

ROCK HILL—Graduates of the York Technical College/University of South Carolina-Lancaster Cooperative Associate Degree Nursing Program will be recognized at a ceremony on Sunday, May 6. The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. at the Baxter Hood Center on the campus of York Technical College.

The class of 2007, which consists of 76 graduates, is the largest in the program's history. The record number of graduates was made possible through the efforts of the South Carolina General Assembly to invest new dollars to train more South Carolinians for high-paying healthcare jobs, a grant from Piedmont Medical Center and the support of Piedmont Medical Center and other partners like Chester Regional Medical Center, Springs Memorial Hospital and local nursing homes to provide nursing students with opportunities for clinical experience.

The larger number of nursing graduates is also good news for area healthcare providers who have been struggling for years to find qualified nurses. In South Carolina, approximately 3,000 qualified students apply to nursing programs each year, but higher education institutions can accommodate only about half that many, according to the South Carolina Hospital Association. With annual nursing job openings in the state currently in the 3,000 range, healthcare providers have been forced to increase incentives, offer lucrative signing bonuses and look beyond state borders—sometimes internationally—to hire nursing staff.

In response to the shortage of healthcare workers, the South Carolina Technical College System received $15.8 million in nonrecurring funds last year from the General Assembly to build allied health training capacity statewide.  York Technical College's portion—nearly $1 million— was used to expand enrollment opportunities in both the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and Practical Nursing (PN) programs, establish a lab consisting of 6  patient simulators for clinical practice and pilot a distributed learning delivery model of the college's nationally-accredited PN program. 

While the investment of state and private resources has result in an increased number of nursing graduates in the college's service area, recurring dollars are needed to achieve a long-term solution. This year, the South Carolina Technical College System is requesting $15 million in recurring funds from the General Assembly to continue supporting the healthcare workforce initiatives developed by York Technical College and the other technical colleges.

The following graduates will receive an Associate in Health Science degree with a Major in Nursing: