WC vocational nursing receives new equipment thanks to grant funds
Thanks to funds from the Wiggs Family Foundation, the Weatherford College vocational
nursing program has added two Nexsys medication administration machines, a high-fidelity
mannequin, a bladder scanner and a new Hoyer lift to their labs.
With the Nexsys medication system, students log in to the medication system, review the physician order, and scan the medication bar code and the patient armband on equipment identical to what is used in hospital environments.
“This process is identical to real-world practice scenarios and allows students to learn safe medication administration and utilize clinical reasoning and judgment in a safe environment,” faculty member Debra Weeks said. “This enhances our program immensely and creates an amazing learning environment for our students.”
The high-fidelity simulation mannequins allow students to take vital signs as well as hear respiratory, heart and bowel sounds. Instructors can present changes in patient status scenarios, allowing students to learn and apply clinical judgment in assessment, intervention and medication administration in a safe environment.
“We do have other high-fidelity mannequins, but none that compare to the one we received with the grant money,” Weeks said. “It is a great time to be a Weatherford College nursing student!”
The Vocational Nursing program, part of WC’s Alesia Armstrong Wiggs School of Nursing, is a 12-month program with no college course prerequisites required prior to admission.
The LVN path ranks as one of the fastest-growing and marketable entry-level nursing positions in the field, with 99 percent of WC students employed within three months of graduation.
“WC's nursing programs prepare our students with all the skills and education needed to care for patients while making them a hot commodity to employers,” Weeks said. “This program can be life-changing.”
The vocational nursing program is accepting applications through March 31.
This program also provides the opportunity to transition to the Associate Degree Registered Nurse level if desired.
The Wiggs Family Foundation donated $1 million to the WC Foundation in 2021, the largest cash gift in the college’s history. The donation supports the Alesia Armstrong Wiggs School of Nursing.
Learn more about vocational nursing at https://wc.edu/programs/all-programs/vocational-nursing-program/.