(Butler, PA) More than 75 percent of Butler County Community College’s Class of 2021 in registered nursing received one or more job offers or had interviews scheduled before completing the college’s two-year career program in May.
Graduates of the college’s Nursing, R.N., program held on its main campus in Butler Township or at BC3 @ Brockway in Jefferson County who accepted job offers in the high-priority occupation in western Pennsylvania said they will work in Allegheny, Butler, Clearfield, Elk and Jefferson counties.
“These students,” said Dr. Patty Annear, dean of BC3’s Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health, “are extremely marketable. There is a major shortage in nursing, and I would suspect that the reason that some of them don’t have jobs yet is that they have not had the chance to actively look for jobs.”
Registered nursing is a 2021 high-priority occupation in the North Central, Tri-County and West Central workforce development areas, which include Armstrong, Butler, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Lawrence and Mercer counties.
The expected starting salary in 2021 for registered nurses with an associate degree is $51,280, according to nursingprocess.org.
The occupation is expected to see a 7 percent increase in jobs through 2029, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
State boards rate averages 90%
BC3’s Nursing, R.N., program in March was ranked by Nursing Degree Search as No. 3 in a list titled “2021 Best Value Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Pennsylvania.”
Sixty percent of BC3’s Class of 2021 in Nursing, R.N., graduated debt-free.
“The reputation of BC3’s nursing program is definitely very high,” Girdwood said. “I know a lot of employers who received my application had asked me specifically about BC3 because they know it is a good program and that it produces good nurses. A lot of employers know how good BC3 is and want their nursing graduates.”
Nicholas Stutz began job interviews after graduation.
Olivia Girdwood, of Portersville, left, received the dean’s award; and Nicholas Stutz, of Butler, right, the Autumn Rose Cooper ’18 Nursing Award during a Nursing, R.N., ceremony held Friday, May 7, 2021, in Succop Theater on Butler County Community College’s main campus in Butler Township.
“Everyone I talk to says BC3 nursing graduates are the top of the line,” said Stutz, of Butler. “They are the best nurses out there. Every clinical instructor and every nurse that I met has always said BC3 has top-of-the-line students.”
The college May 7 honored 36 graduates of its 70-credit Nursing, R.N., program held on its main campus and nine from the nearly 3-year-old program held at BC3 @ Brockway. Class of 2021 graduates are residents of Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Clearfield, Jefferson and Lawrence counties.
Girdwood received the dean’s award, which is funded by an anonymous donor to the BC3 Education Foundation; and Stutz received the Autumn Rose Cooper ’18 Nursing Award, funded through the BC3 Education Foundation by the former Autumn Gressly, a 2018 BC3 Nursing, R.N., graduate.
Each award funds licensure and testing fees for the post-graduation National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.
An average of 90 percent of BC3’s first-time National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses test-takers in the past three years were successful, Annear said.
Noella Weaver, of Punxsutawney, a first-level student in BC3 @ Brockway’s Nursing, R.N., program, received the Karen M. McCurdy ’85 Nursing Award for achieving the highest score on the spring Health Education Systems Inc. exam.
Students in BC3’s Nursing, R.N., program take the Health Education Systems Inc. exam each semester to measure their academic progress and to prepare for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.
BC3 Nursing, R.N., graduates from six counties
BC3’s Class of 2021 in Nursing, R.N., are Alisha Lawhead, McDonald, Allegheny County; and Lauren Archibald, Kittanning, and Caitlin Montgomery, Ford City, Armstrong County.
BC3 Nursing, R.N., graduates from Butler County are Naudia Ahmad, Mars; Allison Bard, Butler; Hunter Cihonski, Cabot; Kaylee Comperatore, Sarver; Jenna Corcelius, Chicora; Sydney Daugherty, Butler; Makayla Delaney, Zelienople; and Trent Donaldson, Butler.
Also, Logan Francis, Butler; Tara Geibel, Chicora; Olivia Girdwood, Portersville; Hailey Glodowski, Butler; Bethany Harmon, Valencia; Kathyrn Hartzell, Butler; Brandan Horstman, Slippery Rock; and Alexi Krajnikovich, Butler.
Also, Amber Kriess, Butler; Emily Lang, Butler; Min Liu, Butler; Maria McAvoy, Slippery Rock; Ian Miller, Butler; Caitlin Moss, Renfrew; Olivia Mourer, Chicora; and Carley Patten, Butler.
Also, Kelsey Ripley, West Sunbury; Sarah Russell, Butler; Michele Schnur, Butler; Vincent Slomers, Butler; Nicholas Stutz, Butler; Autumn Trempus, Cabot; and Alyssa Weibel, Chicora.
BC3’s Class of 2021 in Nursing, R.N., includes Debra West, DuBois, Clearfield County; and Jefferson County residents Ethan Davie, Brookville; Heather Dodge, Reynoldsville; David Forsythe, Brookville; Rebekah Henretty, Brockway; Lauren Hidinger, Brockway; Sarah London, Reynoldsville; Brandon McGranor, Brookville; and Maddison McLaughlin, Brookville.
BC3 Nursing, R.N., graduates from Lawrence County are Kylea Breitenstein, New Castle; and Anna Van Gent, New Wilmington.
Grove City students, LPN program on horizon
Applications for fall 2022 enrollment in BC3’s Nursing, R.N., program on its main campus and at BC3 @ Brockway will be accepted beginning Aug. 1.
Construction of the state-of-the-art Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health building on BC3’s main campus is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2021.
The building featuring a hospital-like setting could open by early 2023, and will train BC3 and Grove City College students, along with those to be enrolled in BC3’s new licensed practical nursing program.
Grove City students will begin technical and clinical training this fall at BC3 as part of a partnership with the Mercer County private institution forged in June 2019.
BC3’s licensed practical nursing diploma program will address another high-priority occupation in western Pennsylvania. It was created through a partnership with Concordia Lutheran Ministries, a Cabot health care provider, and could debut in January pending Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing approval.
Registered nursing students in the college’s main campus program this spring also served the community by volunteering to assist Butler Memorial Hospital’s COVID-19 clinic.
