In keeping with our practice to provide career education according to employer needs, Gateway will temporarily suspend enrollment in the Practical Nursing program effective Aug. 1, 2011, and no new enrollments will be accepted into the program. Students in the current cohort, provided they remain continuously enrolled, and members of previous cohorts who are in remediation and awaiting readmission will be eligible for a teach-out program. “Practical nurse pending” students will not be enrolled in the program and will not be eligible for the teach-out plan. The suspension of enrollment will be effective until Spring 2014, when the need for the program will be reevaluated.
The Practical Nurse program has served students, the college, and regional employers well in recent years; however, with the rapidly changing trends in healthcare and a depressed economy, our students are not finding the jobs that used to be there for PN graduates. An analysis by the Program Review process reveals that the future employment rate for LPNs is very uncertain. We do not believe it is in the best interest of students to prepare them for jobs that are not in demand.
Note: This decision does not affect the Associate Degree Nursing program, which will continue as usual. Gateway also continues to offer certificates for Medicaid Nurse Aide and Kentucky Medication Aide, both of which qualify for special assistance to low-income students under a federal Health Profession Opportunity Grant. For information about the grant, other available HPOG credentials and your potential eligibility, contact anika.simpson@kctcs.edu.