ALBANY, GA – Expansion of the associate degree in nursing at Albany Technical College is now underway and plans to increase night classes have been arranged. A full-time biology instructor and a full-time nursing instructor have been added to the faculty to handle the growth going into the summer, fall, and next spring. Phoebe Putney Health Systems was instrumental in working with Albany Technical College to implement a plan to graduate more nurses in the region in the next two years.
“Not only are we able to increase our enrollment, but we're also going to be able to offer a different entry option. Starting this the summer of 2021 we will have a day program implemented. We will still keep our original evening and weekend program that starts every fall semester, but the daytime opportunity will now become available for students as well,” stated Lisa Stephens, Dean of Business/Healthcare Technology at Albany Technical College.
Albany Technical College has a long-standing relationship with Phoebe Putney Health System. Many graduates from Albany Tech work with Phoebe, one of the top ten employers in the community.
An agreement was signed in November 2020 between Albany Technical College and Phoebe Putney Health System to enhance nurse education and training. By working together to address a growing nursing shortage, the goal is to increase graduates from the Associate of Science Nursing (ASN) Program at Albany Tech.
Phoebe will provide access to clinical rotations for Albany Tech ASN students and provide access to the Phoebe Simulation and Innovation Center, an advanced training facility recently completed at Phoebe. The training done at the center ensures that staff and students have the competencies required to provide safe, high-quality care.
“I want students to know that our program offers that special attention. Because of our numbers, we can do that. We can take a student in our office who didn't pass an exam and say to them come sit down with me. Let's see what's going on,” said Dr. Latrona Lanier, Associate of Science Nursing Director at Albany Technical College. Lanier goes on to say, “I think that's crucial because it shows that we care. Even more than that, we have an open-door policy, so if students have an issue, they can always schedule an appointment with the instructors or with me. We will provide attention if it's needed.”
The nursing shortage is a national issue that will continue to get worse. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there will be 176,000 openings for registered nurses every year for the remainder of this decade. There aren’t enough nursing graduates to fill those positions.
An admissions package for the summer and fall semesters for the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) can be found under academics on Albany Tech’s website at AlbanyTech.edu. There is also an ASN Nursing Student Handbook available for download.