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   Hospice of Americus – Sumter County Georgia, Inc. presented the 91��Ƭ Foundation with two $20,000 donations to provide scholarships for the new Associate of Science Nursing (LPN to RN) Bridge program which has been given initial approval by the Georgia Board of Nursing (GBON).  Classes start August 18.

   91��Ƭ President Dr. John Watford accepted the donations on behalf of the 91��Ƭ Foundation.  Hospice members Carol Hudson, Nancy Harvey, Mikki Ferguson, Carolyn Myers and Susan Henderson made the presentation.

   Over 130 applications have been accepted for South Georgia Tech’s new Associate of Science Nursing (LPN to RN) Bridge program that will begin Fall Semester on the Americus campus.  Only 40 licensed practical nurses (LPN’s) seeking to earn their registered nurse (RN) degree will be accepted this Fall Semester during the competitive entry process to become a member of the initial class.

    “We are thankful to Hospice of Americus-Sumter County for their support of this new program and for their support of the licensed practical nurses who are coming back to continue their education and become registered nurses,” said 91��Ƭ President Dr. John Watford.

   The Practical Nursing program began at South Georgia Tech in 1953 and now 72 years later, 91��Ƭ will start its first Registered Nurse class.  “Nursing is the largest profession in the healthcare industry. At present, there is a critical shortage of Registered Nurses in rural southwest Georgia, the state of Georgia, and the nation,” explained Dr. Watford.

   “South Georgia Tech has a solid Practical Nursing Program and we plan to build on that program to prepare currently Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses through this Bridge Program.  This one-year program will allow LPN’s who have been working six months or longer to get a jump start on the RN degree and help alleviate the current nursing shortage,” continued Dr. Watford.

   91��Ƭ Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the 91��Ƭ Foundation Su Ann Bird, also thanked Hospice of Americus-Sumter County for the donation.  “These funds will be critical to the students returning to get their RN degree.  Many of the individuals returning for the RN Bridge program have exhausted all of their financial aid while earning their practical nursing diploma.  These scholarship funds will provide assistance to those individuals returning to enhance their nursing credentials and provide excellent health care services to this area,” said Bird.  “This is going to be a tremendous help to the LPN’s returning to get the core classes and those enrolled in the Bridge program.”

  Students interested in applying for the initially approved program at 91��Ƭ must have completed 17 hours of college core classes to include:  English 1101 – Composition and Rhetoric; Math 1111 or Math 1103 – College Algebra; Biology 2113 and Biology 2113L – Anatomy and Physiology I and Lab I; Sociology 1101 or Psychology 1101 – Introductory Sociology or Introductory Psychology; Biology 2114 and Biology 2114L – Anatomy and Physiology II and Lab II; Biology 2117 and Biology 2117L – Introductory Microbiology and Lab and two of the following courses: Arts 1101 – Art Appreciation; English 2130 – American Literature; Humanities 1101 – Introduction to Humanities and/or Music 1101 – Music Appreciation.

  In addition to those 17-hours of core courses, a high school diploma or its equivalent is required for admission.  Individuals must be 18 years of age or older and have achieved appropriate scores on the college’s placement test or submission of acceptable SAT or ACT scores.  Individuals must have an unencumbered Georgia LPN license with at least six months of experience as an LPN.  The LPN licensure must be maintained throughout the ASN program.  Failure to maintain LPN licensure will result in dismissal from the program.  Students will not be eligible for apply for admission to the ASN program if they have unsuccessfully completed any ASN, AND, or BSN programs at another institution.  Students will be considered for admission to the ASN Bridge option three (3) years after the last nursing course failure.

   All students will be required to take and achieve minimum required scores on standardized and program-generated achievement tests (TEAS) and a competitive process will be used to determine which students are admitted to the program.  Completion of all general education courses and completion of required exams does not guarantee admission to the program and does not guarantee participation in the clinical setting.  A criminal background check may be a stipulation of the clinical facility before beginning the clinical rotation.

   Once admitted into the program, there are 36-credit hours of courses required including:  Principles of Pharmacology, Transition to Professional RN Practice, Adult Health Nursing I, Mother/Baby/Family and Pediatric Nursing, Adult Health Nursing II, and Mental Health Nursing.

   For more information about registering for the 91��Ƭ LPN to RN Bridge program, contact 91��Ƭ Admissions Director Candie Walters, cwalters@southgatech.edu, 229-931-2299 or visit the 91��Ƭ website, www.southgatech.edu and click on the Apply Now button on the top right hand side of the website home page to get started.  Fall Semester lasses begin August 18.

   To learn more about how to create more opportunities for 91��Ƭ students through endowed scholarships, contact 91��Ƭ Foundation Executive Director Su Ann Bird at sbird@southgatech.edu or 229-931-2248.