Vocational nursing degree program, Licensed Vocational Nursing, is being planned to open on Saipan in May this year, allowing interested local and foreign students to take up and complete the course in less than a year and be able to work afterwards.
California-based investor Sedy Demesa-Bernabe, who held talks with CNMI government and business groups last week, said that graduates of the program would be eligible to take up the NCLEX [nursing licensure exam] or even choose to pursue other advanced nursing courses.
“What I think is important for students to know is that after the 11-month program, they can work right away at the entry level. The LVN program is widely accepted in the U.S., especially in California,” she said.
Demesa-Bernabe, who owns the second-largest nursing home chain in California, Pleasant Care, said that LVNs receive a wage rate of up to $27 per hour in the U.S.
She said the licensed vocational nursing courses to be offered on Saipan are based on a curriculum approved by the California Board of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education and the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.
An LVN is an entry-level health care provider who is responsible for rendering basic nursing care. A vocational nurse practices under the direction of a physician or registered nurse.
Data showed that an LVN training requires some 1,530 total hours. It includes 576 hours theory, 954 hours clinical, and 54 hours pharmacology.
A typical course covers the following subjects: Anatomy & Physiology, Psychology, Pharmacology, Nursing Process, Communication, Patient Education, Nutrition, Normal Growth and Development, Rehabilitation Nursing, Maternity Nursing, Nursing Fundamentals, Pediatric Nursing, Medical/Surgical Nursing, Gerontological Nursing, Supervision, Leadership, Communicable Disease, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
The LVN course will be offered by Demesa's Emmanuel College, which is applying for accreditation with the CNMI State Board of Regents.
Emmanuel College will be located at Pacific Towers, formerly Koreana Hotel, in Chalan Kanoa, a property acquired by Demesa's group about two years ago.
The college is named after Demesa's husband Emmanuel, who is the president of Pleasant Care.
Demesa is the executive vice president of the company.
Emmanuel College is a sister company of Stockton, California-based Xavier College.
Local and foreign students
Demesa said the LVN program will be open to local residents, as well as students from South Korea, China, and the Philippines, among others.
Her business associate from Korea joined her on Saipan last week to meet with local government and education leaders.
Demesa's team met with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, lawmakers and officials of Northern Marianas College, the Public School System, and the Board of Education.
“We've had productive meetings. We look forward to working closely with them,” said Demesa.
She said the college will not compete with NMC's nursing program.
“We're offering LVN degree course which is not being offered by NMC. We are complementing NMC. In fact, our students can pursue their nursing studies further at NMC if they want to,” she said.
The under-funded community college currently offers a two-year associate nursing program. (source) |
