Community partners with Unitek College for nursing program
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A critical nursing shortage continues to impact the nation and according to the US Registered Nurse Workforce Report Card and Shortage Forecast, it is expected to last through 2030 and hit western states like California the hardest.
Here in the Central Valley, it can be a challenge getting into nursing school for those who want to become registered nurses.
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Taeler Aschbrenner tried to get into nursing programs for years with no luck.
“The first year you get your hopes up, well you get your hopes up every year,” said Aschbrenner.
Tough competition along with limited space in programs means not everyone who has a heart for nursing can get in.
“They only accept 100 students for one whole year, so two semesters and there were 1,200 applicants,” said McKenna Hansen.
Just like Ashbrenner, Hansen started to lose hope of ever becoming a nurse after receiving three rejection letters.
“It was really hard just because every time I was, like, well maybe this time, maybe this next time, and they pick for two semesters so I would have to wait a whole other year to apply for that,” said Hansen.
However, both McKenna and Taeler work for Community, Taeler is a non-invasive cardio tech, and McKenna is a phlebotomist.
When both heard that Community and Unitek College were teaming up to increase nursing school opportunities for Community team members they immediately got to work applying.
“This provides an opportunity for our staff who already work at Community Health System to enter into a program, some are ready, some are ready to enter right away because they’ve been waiting to enter into a nursing program but then others have decided you know what, maybe I’m ready to take that next step. So it’s providing an opportunity and a pathway that perhaps they didn’t feel they had before,” said Heather Rodriquez.
Rodriquez is the Chief Nursing Officer at Fresno Heart and Surgical Hospital and says the plan is to have about three cohorts a year to help make sure the program is running smoothly, Nurse Educator Alexis Ramirez was appointed as the Director of Nursing and Academic Services with Unitek.
“I’m the equivalent of what you would consider a campus dean. I’m on-site. I’m here to help run that day-to-day for the nursing students,” said Ramirez.
Both McKenna and Taeler were accepted into the first cohort and are now pursuing their dreams of becoming registered nurses.
Right now the program is open to Community employees only, but there are plans to eventually open the program to the public.
