A common desire among nursing students is to help others.
At Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla., students are given the support, encouragement and skills needed to embark on a successful and fulfilling career in the health care field where they impact the lives of patients and families every day.
“I know how it feels to have no help and feel totally hopeless,” said Kelli Davis, an LPN-to-RN nursing students at Redlands. “I want to bring hope and healing to the people I care for.”
First-year nursing student Riley Coffey added, “Nursing allows me to combine compassion with critical thinking, and I like knowing that the work I do directly impacts people during some of the most important moments of their lives.”
Nursing is a profession built on care, commitment and trust. Nurses play a vital role in communities across the state, yet the health care industry continues to face workforce shortages, particularly in rural areas. Students like Davis and Coffey are helping Redlands Community College address that challenge.
With a 100% job placement rate, Redlands offers a two-year degree program that prepares graduates to successfully take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) for licensure as a registered nurse and to enter the workforce immediately. Redlands has two nursing program options: the traditional RN program and a track for Licensed Practical Nurses
(LPNs). Students who are enrolled in the LPN-to-RN cohort earn articulation credits in the first semester, allowing them to graduate in three semesters instead of four. This helps get them out of the classroom and into the community where they can do the most good.
“The benefit of earning an associate degree in nursing at Redlands is that graduates are well-prepared for the licensure exam that will allow them to begin working quickly,” said Tara Thomas, director of Redlands’ Nursing Program. “Once they have completed this stage, they are able to focus on their career as a registered nurse or continue their education at a university to earn a bachelor’s of nursing degree.”
After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and teaching several years at the high school and college levels, Redlands nursing student Ken Thompson realized he needed a change.
“I spent years teaching others, but it was my students who helped me realize that I could make this career change, that I have an aptitude for this area,” said Ken Thompson, a former English teacher and current nursing student at Redlands Community College. “And having people in my life as well as the instructors at Redlands who have supported and mentored me during this process, has been so valuable.”
Thomas and her team have made great strides in restructuring the program to give students a conceptual learning experience, meaning they learn how each skill applies to patients from birth to death. This approach prepares students to immediately step in to provide care in the clinical setting with the supervision of well-trained nurses. The college’s partnerships with several area health facilities provide students with challenging, hands-on experience during their clinical rotations.
This clinical experience, along with the high-tech simulation and skills labs and conceptual education, prepares Redlands nursing graduates to make a significant impact once they enter the workforce.
“Fortunately, our location just outside of Oklahoma City gives our students the unique opportunity to serve in both rural and urban areas, exposing them to the different types of nursing care available and helping them figure out what is the best fit for them,” Thomas added. “With our current health care shortage, the varied experience our students have is very valuable.”
With available financial assistance as well as the personal attention and opportunities Redlands faculty and staff provide, Redlands is a solid, affordable choice for students at any stage of the educational or professional journey.
Visit www.redlandscc.edu/nursing/careers.php for more information and to apply for the program and scholarships. The scholarship application is due May 31, and nursing program application deadlines are March 1 for generic Fall admissions, December 1 for LPN-RN Spring admissions, and May 1 for readmission and transfer admissions.
