News

Great numbers in DCB's nursing program

By Scott Wagar

09/04/2012

One of the most sought after programs by students at Dakota College at Bottineau is its nursing program, which is presently seeing another year of good numbers throughout the state of North Dakota.

“This year we have a total of 40 students in the nursing program,” said Diane Sjol, site coordinator for Dakota College at Bottineau’s nursing programs. “We have 10 associate degree nursing (Registered Nurse, or RN) students in Bottineau and eight PN (License Practical Nurse or LPN) students. We have five PN students in Rugby and 10 ADN students in Valley City State University with seven PN students there. Most of the Bottineau and Rugby students come from the Bottineau, Dunseith and Westhope area with two PNs from Minot. We also have three students from Canada with one ADN student and two PN students.”

The PN program is an 11 month educational program that grants a practical nursing certificate, while in the ADN program is an educational program that grants a two year associate in science degree in nursing, allowing them to take their boards to become a registered nurse.

Sjol said that she is pleased to see so many students entering into nursing because there is a large shortage of nurses in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2020 the total number of nurses needed due to growth and replacement in the nursing profession will be 1.2 million nurses, with the majority of the positions being registered nurses.

One of the reasons that nurses will be needed is because the baby boomers generations will be leaving the work force, and will also need more medical attention as they grow older.

With a larger number of patients and residents in nursing homes increasing in the U.S., DCB at the present moment is working toward changing their curriculum to focus on geriatric medicine.

“We are currently working on a program called Partners in Nursing with the state. This program changes the focus on geriatric care because of baby boomers retiring,” Sjol said. “We have never really focused on geriatric care in our curriculums. So, we are going to revise our curriculum to focus more on geriatric care. We want to get our students interested in this field so we can care for the aging population.”

With good enrollment numbers in the nursing program, the dean of Dakota College at Bottineau, Dr. Ken Grosz, is pleased with how the program is being attended at DCB.

“The success of the program is due to a lot of hard work on the part of many, including Sandra Sund, the first nursing director, Larry Brooks, our academic dean; and Diane Sjol, our current nursing director,” Grosz said. “We are also cooperating with Valley City State, Heart of America in Rugby and the outstanding support from our local health care providers, including St. Andrew’s and the Good Samaritan Center.”