Williamsburg Regional Hospital and Williamsburg Technical College have received a $250,000 grant from the Duke Endowment to maintain essential nursing training through Williamsburg Technical College’s practical nursing program in order to meet critical healthcare needs in Williamsburg County.
Williamsburg Technical College, the county’s only post-secondary institution, began a practical nursing education program in 2005 with the help of the Williamsburg Regional Hospital and two Duke Endowment grants — one for $16,500 to evaluate the need for the PN program and one for $188,140 to implement the program.
Prior to the PN program startup at Williamsburg Technical College, Williamsburg County residents who wished to seek a career in nursing had to make a round trip of three hours or more to enroll in nursing programs at other colleges, many of which have admissions waiting lists of up to five years.
Williamsburg Regional Hospital partnered with the college to introduce nursing curricula to address the regional health care shortage, offer local residents expanded employment opportunities in the health care sector, and ultimately improve quality and access to health care for local residents. In each of the four years of the nursing program's operation, 100 percent of the graduates have passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and have found employment in the community.
“Federal and other government funding assistance has been requested, but in light of all shortfalls and the tenuous nature of requesting funding, without this assistance from the Duke Endowment, the continuation and expansion of the WTC practical nursing program would have been in serious danger,” interim college President Dr. Cheryl Cox said in a statement.
The WTC practical nursing program currently enrolls about 16 to 18 students taught by two faculty members per academic year.
Williamsburg County is a federally designated Medically Underserved Area with a Medically Underserved Population and a Health Professional Shortage Area.
The Duke Endowment, located in Charlotte, NC, aims to fulfill the legacy of James B. Duke by improving lives and communities in the Carolinas through higher education, health care, rural churches and children’s services. Since its inception, the endowment has awarded more than $2.6 billion in grants.
For more information on Williamsburg Technical College’s practical nursing program, visit www.wiltech.edu.
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