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| For Immediate Release | Contact: Frances Squire |
| March 3 , 2008 | Phone: (559) 934-2134 |
WHCL 2007 nursing students
RN Program at WHCL One Step Closer to Reality
The third new free-standing program to train registered nurses in California since the 1960s became one step closer to reality in February as the California State Board of Registered Nurses gave its stamp of approval to a new program at West Hills College Lemoore.
Dr. Carole Goldsmith, director of workforce development for WHCCD, said the proposal, which has been in the works for several years, next goes to the Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges for consideration—hopefully at its March meeting.
Approval from WASC would be the final step necessary to allow WHCL to offer its own RN program. The college is currently training nurses under a partnership agreement with Fresno City College and previously offered a program in partnership with Bakersfield College.
Goldsmith said the free-standing program that will serve Kings and southern Fresno counties is important to the region for a number of reasons.
Central Valley residents experience high rates of chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and the counties in the region are facing a severe shortage of registered nurses, she said.
RNs trained in urban centers tend not to accept employment in rural areas, she said, even if they were originally from those areas.
In California, there are 730 registered nurses for every 100,000 people. In the Central Valley there are 15 percent fewer (619 nurses/100,000 people).
Goldsmith also cited unemployment rates and economic disparity between the Central Valley and other areas of the state and said that a new nursing program will serve as an economic catalyst for the region.
Students who are interested in the program should watch the West Hills’ website for details. It is westhillscollege.com. Information will be posted as soon as it is available, Goldsmith said.
“We’re being cautious and taking this step-by-step,” she said. “Getting the BRN approval was huge but we’ll wait to celebrate until we have approval from WASC as well,” she said.
WHCL President Don Warkentin, West Hills Community College District Chancellor Frank Gornick and a host of other supporters including representatives from Fresno City College and Coalinga State Hospital attended the BRN meeting in Emeryville.
Warkentin joined Goldsmith in hailing the importance of the program.
“Our students and our communities are anxious for the opportunities this program affords,” he said.
“Helping supply the workforce needs of our area is one of the core missions of our college,” he said. “We have had hundreds of people express interest in a WHCL nursing program.
“The students who have trained through our partnership programs have had an excellent pass rate on state licensing exams and most have gone on to fill critical health care roles in our area,” he concluded.
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West Hills Community College District serves the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and is part of the California Community College System. Its two colleges, West Hills College Coalinga, which includes North District Center, Firebaugh, and West Hills College Lemoore, serve more than 6,000 students on campus and online each semester.