WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE COLLEGE

Award / $49,298

Priority / Healthcare Workforce Development

Location / Altus, OK Beckham, Comanche, Custer, Jackson, Stephens and Washita counties area of focus

LPNs are being phased out of high-risk areas in hospitals nationwide. At the same time, the elderly population is growing due to the aging of baby boomers and pressure is now on institutions of higher education to address a severe shortage of RNs, especially in rural areas such as western Oklahoma. Western Oklahoma State College proposes an online LPN to RN academic program with clinical experience in the field at various partner institutions in order to assist LPNs to become RNs in one year without leaving the workforce. WOSC also seeks to implement a new improved curriculum to meet the upcoming need for the new NCLEX test which puts more emphasis on innovative and critical thinking in order to pass the test.