Lockport Practical Nursing Class Starts with 35 Students
On February 5, 2024, a class of 35 aspiring students started their journey toward becoming Licensed Practical Nurses through the one-year program at Orleans/Niagara BOCES. Students come from all parts of Niagara County, Orleans County, and even a few from Erie County.
Under Lead Teacher Jennifer Peters and Assistant Teacher Anne Fetterhoff, the class will meet four days per week at the Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Lockport Community Education Center at 50 Main Street in Lockport.
The 1,236-hour program, delivered over 52 weeks, incorporates theory, lab, medication dosage calculation, and clinical training. The Nursing students will be ready to begin their clinical training in May, at which point their days will be split between the Lockport Community Education Center and clinical opportunities in area facilities and clinics for the remainder of the program.
Following graduation in February 2025, successful students will be eligible to take the NCLEX-PN exam for New York State licensure as LPNs.
The Orleans/Niagara BOCES program has a long history of student success on the NCLEX-PN licensing exam. The past two classes have had the opportunity to participate in a free, two-week Pre-PN class designed to prepare students for the rigors of the curriculum. The Pre-PN program incorporates computer literacy and study skills as well as math and science refreshers for students who may have been out of school for a long period of time. The Pre-PN program has received very positive feedback from students.
Health Science Coordinator Diana Petrizzo said that programs like this are increasingly important in today’s healthcare climate. “The US healthcare industry is experiencing a severe shortage of workers at every level - a crisis worsened by the pandemic. It is estimated that New York will face a shortage of almost 40,000 nurses by 2030. LPNs are being sought for a wide variety of positions in the healthcare field from long-term to acute care. O/N BOCES has the only Practical Nursing program in Niagara and Orleans Counties offered during the day. We are thrilled to have 35 students currently enrolled, and intend to enroll up to 40 students for our next class in February 2025. Interested applicants should apply now.”
According to Adult Education Coordinator Maureen Bartlett, “We have spent the past year revamping the Practical Nursing program to provide the best quality education possible, while remaining competitively priced. We are pleased that so many of the students who completed the Pre-PN program in spring 2023 have joined those who just finished. We are happy to have such an enthusiastic group of aspiring nurses in the program.” The program received a grant from the Grigg Lewis Foundation to support the purchase of state-of-the-art nursing education software.
Local health care facilities who would like to present opportunities to the class and/or would like to discuss clinical placement opportunities for students should contact Diana Petrizzo at dpetrizzo@onboces.org. Students looking to apply for the next class in 2025 should call Kathy Dix at (716) 731-6800 Ext. 4445. Information about this and other health careers training programs at Orleans/Niagara BOCES can be found at: https://www.onboces.org/o/orleans-niagara-boces/page/healthcare.
