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Friday, May 26, 2017

BOCES: Nursing Program Ranked 5th in New York State

The Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES Practical Nursing Program has been ranked #5 in New York State out of 72 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) programs by PracticalNursing.org.  PracticalNursing.org’s mission is to provide students with better transparency in regards to practical and vocational nursing programs.  They developed LPN & LVN programs rankings based on NCLEX-PN exam passing rates.  According to Bryce Hall, President of PracticalNursing.org, 72 LPN Programs in New York State were assessed on several factors which represent how well a program supports students towards licensure and beyond.
Mr. Hall explained, “We analyzed past and present NCLEX-PN pass rates, weighted by year.  It's our pleasure to present this accolade to CA BOCES.  Our thanks to the entire team for their hard work and dedication to the field.”
This news came as no surprise to Cathy Tomerlin, Coordinator of Health Occupations at CA BOCES.  She said, “We have always had high state board pass rates – higher than state averages.  We are very proud of that and have worked hard to get there.”
When asked what the contributing factors to their success may be, Cathy touted their faculty and curriculum.  Mrs. Tomerlin revealed, “We have dedicated faculty and clinical instructors.  They are phenomenal.  Students have to complete 520 hours of clinical experience upon program completion, in addition to the classroom work.  It’s a challenging two years.”
Karen Swanson, a second year student in the LPN program at CA BOCES concurred with Tomerlin’s comments, “The courses are broken up into an introduction, pathophysiology of the diagnosis, and the nursing care.  That process is a huge help because it gets you to think outside the box.”
She added, “Without the teachers preparing us, I would never have been able to do this.”
Kim Howard is a practical nursing instructor with the CA BOCES LPN program.  She shared, “Because we have a small faculty, we can reinforce what they need.  I repeat information that is critical and thread the important concepts throughout the course.”
As a student, Swanson believes the smaller class size is another contributing factor to the program’s success.  She offered, “With a small group, you are not lost in the numbers.”
Swanson also enjoys the many ways the material is presented, including lecture and online learning.
“Students are offered a lot of support here.  Each instructor has a personal investment in the students,” noted Kim Howard.  “When the state was here to do our reviews, one of our strengths was that we had consistent faculty,” she added.
When asked if she felt she was prepared to enter the world of nursing, Ms. Swanson replied, “I feel I am very well prepared.  I am really glad I came here.  It was a good life decision.  It’s a high demand job, great pay and great benefits.  Also, there are jobs everywhere around here.”
Mrs. Tomerlin agreed nursing opportunities in the area abound.  She said, “I get four to six calls a month with openings for LPNs.  We know we are graduating very capable nurses.  It is wonderful to watch their progress over the two years.”
The CA BOCES Practical Nursing Program offers separate two-year, part-time program at the CTE Center at Olean and the CTE Center at Belmont.  The program also offers adult students the opportunity to practice patient-centered nursing care of all age groups.  Nursing theory and patient care lab skills taught in the classroom are combined with a supervised clinical experience to develop a knowledgeable competent nurse.  The program is registered by the New York State Education Department and prepares the students for admission to the state licensing examination.  For more information visit the CA BOCES website at www.caboces.org.