Nursing classrooms in southern Oklahoma are filled to capacity.
The Southern Oklahoma Technology Center, East Central University and Murray State College each offer nursing programs.
“We have always had a large interest in our allied health programs. Programs stay filled and twice as many apply as we have spots for,” said MSC Director of Operations at Ardmore Higher Education Center Lynette Kirk.
MSC allows students to take their general education and basic science classes at the Ardmore Higher Education Center and take nursing classes at the main campus in Tishomingo.
ECU, which offers the only baccalaureate registered nursing program in southeastern Oklahoma, had 32 students apply for the 17 available spots at the Ardmore site.
In order to be the leader, the supervisor, they (nurses) need more than an associate. A baccalaureate can get a masters. In rural areas, you have to have someone who can do independent practice, said Dr. Peggy Hart Miller.
The ECU program, which is a part of the Ardmore Higher Education Center, opened last year with 10 students accepted.
Next year, the goal is to enroll 24 students and sustain that number, bringing the overall total to the school’s capacity of 72 students.
It is currently funded through grants from Mercy Memorial Hospital and Health Resources and Service Administration.
However, the grants will run out in the next three to four years, after which the school will depend on the state funding that they will receive through ECU.
The program accepts students during their sophomore year; therefore there are three classes at any one time.
There are scheduled classes that the students attend that are either taught by faculty at the Ardmore site or by lecturers in Ada by way of the interactive television system.
The interactive television system links the instructor and students over the web. They are able to see and talk with one another in real time.
The Southern Oklahoma Technology Center offers a more flexible schedule for its practical nursing program.
Students can enter with any level of prior knowledge and have the freedom to plan their own schedule, as long as they reach certain weekly hour requirements.
SOTC practical nursing student Melinda Ritter has been a nurse’s aide for six years.
“I’m ready to advance and further my education to better support my family. This program is ideal because I can come out while working full-time. It’s like having my cake and eating it too,” she said.
At the end of the program, students take the state exam to become a licensed practical nurse, for which SOTC has a near 100 percent passing rate.
Other programs at SOTC include a basic medical assistant class that is open to high school students.
Students are certified as Registered Medical Assistants and Register Phlebotomists.
Medical assistant student Emily Cranford from Dickson High School works in an orthodontist’s office and says that she wants to eventually be an orthodontist.
“I wake up in the morning and really want to go to school,” she said about the program.
However, Cranford adds that she had friends who could not get into the program because there was no more room.
SOTC plans to devote a portion of the recently passed bond on expanding the medical offerings. The expansion specifics are still being discussed, as SOTC consults with their medical partners, said SOTC administrators.
In addition to funding medical training, there is also a shortage of faculty.
“People are interested, but there isn’t enough money in it,” said ECU student Justin Thompson of Ardmore.
Thompson plans to earn his masters and go into teaching. “I love college and learning. It’s a perfect fit,” he said.
However, the student interest is out there.
“This is a stepping stone for being an RN and it will help me get a better job,” said Jake Petree, a practical nursing student at SOTC.
Jennifer Lindsey, 221-6526
jennifer.lindsey@ardmoreite.com
Medical training programs in southern Oklahoma
Murray State College
Associate registered nurse
Physical therapy assistant
Occupational therapy assistant
Respiratory therapist, in partnership with Rose State College
Southern Oklahoma Technology Center
Licensed Practical Nurse
Surgical Technologist, offered through Adult Career Development
Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic
Dental Hygienist, offered through the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry
Nursing Assistant
Basic Medical Assistant (Registered Medical Assistant and Registered Phlebotomist)
East Central University
Baccalaureate registered nurse
