MORE ABOUT NURSING
Follow the links below to find out more about
Kirtland's Nursing program and degrees.
Return to the Nursing page.
WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE NURSING
PROGRAM AT KIRTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
A career in nursing offers a good income, good benefits, job mobility,
leadership opportunities, flexible schedule, and the opportunity to help
people in times of need. The nursing profession offers a significant
number of jobs anywhere you live, with a big variety. And there are more
openings in college nursing programs than there are in the educational
programs for most other health care professions. Those are just a few
reasons why you should consider applying to Kirtland’s nursing program.
Discover the positive impact you can make when you choose a nursing
career.
WHY NURSING? A QUICK LOOK AT
CAREERS IN NURSING
 Nurses
make up the largest segment of the health care workforce. They care for
the sick, injured, convalescent, and disabled. Nurses help sick people
return to health and keep healthy people well.
The nursing profession is considered to be part science and part art,
combining scientific knowledge and technological know-how with
compassion and healing. Nurses use a holistic approach to care for all
of an individual’s needs, focusing on the physical, psychological,
social, and spiritual dimensions of their patients’ health and wellness,
throughout the entire cycle of life.
Many people think that nurses work mainly in hospitals, but in truth
they’re found in all kinds of practice settings. They may work in
outpatient facilities, nursing homes, physicians’ offices, schools,
public health, industrial sites, patients’ homes, clinics, the military,
corporations, travel nursing, managed care, government agencies, and
more.
Women and men from all walks of life have found a huge variety of job
opportunities within nursing. They may care for children, adults, or the
elderly; pregnant women and newborns; cancer patients; or others. They
can work in an operating room, critical care area, emergency department,
and elsewhere. Their interests may range anywhere from mental health to
sports injuries, to hospice care and beyond. People with a nursing
background may also enter careers in medical equipment sales, health
care law, or the computer business (writing software programs for the
health care industry). Many become involved in the business side of
health care, as managers of care services or employees of corporations
engaged in health planning and development, marketing, or quality
assurance. (Some of these positions require additional education and
training.)
At almost any age or stage in life, a nurse can find a good-paying
job with excellent benefits almost anywhere in the world. Even if one
employer cuts back on staffing, others are hiring.
The elderly population, who are more likely than younger people to
need medical care, is increasing rapidly. So there is a shortage of
nurses, which is also expected to continue because the average age of
nurses already in the workforce is rising and more are approaching
retirement age. Typically, there are 2,330 jobs available in Michigan
for registered nurses (RNs) and 760 for licensed practical nurses (LPNs)
each year.
 Rewarding
in pay as well as in personal satisfaction, nursing is a worthwhile
career in which you can make a positive impact on the lives of many
others — whether you deliver hands-on care or perform another role.
Nursing programs prepare you to assume different roles once you
graduate. While state laws govern the tasks nurses perform, often the
work setting determines a nurse’s daily activities.
Most LPNs provide basic bedside care. They take vital signs; prepare
and give injections; apply dressings; insert catheters; help feed,
bathe, and dress patients; and observe and report on them. LPNs also
collect samples for testing and perform routine tests. They may help
develop patient care plans, assist RNs in giving more complex care, and
perform clerical duties (making appointments or keeping records), too.
As advocates and health educators for patients and communities, RNs work
to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness.
The direct patient care that RNs provide includes assessing patients,
assisting physicians during exams and treatments, administering
medications, and developing and managing nursing care plans. They also
instruct patients and families about proper care, and help individuals
and groups improve or maintain their health.
Graduates of nursing programs must pass a national licensure
examination before they can practice. And in some states they must meet
continuing education requirements in order to maintain their nursing
license. Nurses face some hazards on the job, especially when caring for
individuals with infectious diseases. They must follow rigid guidelines
to guard against this and other risks. Because patients need care around
the clock, a nurse may work nights, weekends, and holidays.
Source of information about careers: The U.S. Department of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupation Outlook Handbook. For more
information, visit their Web site at:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
 IS NURSING FOR YOU?
The Nursing Program at Kirtland Community
College is for you if:
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You perform well academically.
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You possess a caring, sympathetic nature, and like working with
people.
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You are committed to easing human suffering.
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You can work interdependently and independently in complex settings.
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You possess good decision-making skills and can accept
responsibility.
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You want the chance to work in a diverse field that offers many job
opportunities and schedules.
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You are somewhat assertive and capable of responding quickly in
emergency situations.
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You can deal with occasionally stressful work that includes human
suffering.
KIRTLAND - YOUR BEST BET FOR A GREAT EDUCATION AND
EXCELLENT JOB
Kirtland offers full-time course of study, part-time course of study,
and an outreach program in Gaylord. Graduates have jobs waiting
for them. Compare that to other health careers that have fewer jobs
available annually. And we offer financial aid to qualified students.
Employers seek our students out. Lately, all of Kirtland’s RN and LPN
graduates have been recruited by employers and offered jobs prior to
graduation.
A PROGRAM AND SETTING DESIGNED TO DELIVER VALUABLE
SKILLS
 A
new teaching facility for Kirtland Community College’s nursing program
opened in January 2000. It houses state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, and
computer facilities in one building on our beautiful, wooded campus.
Its dedicated computer lab provides you with specific instruction on
various topics and computer exercises that illustrate real-world skills,
before you perform them in the lab. In the combination classroom/lab,
you’ll observe an instructor demonstrating a new procedure, then
immediately practice it in the same room in a simulated hospital
setting.
Kirtland’s nursing program includes both classroom study and
supervised clinical practice (actual patient care) in health care
facilities around the region. Classes are scheduled so that students are
on campus just one or two days a week, a convenience for those who live
farther away.
Clinical courses focus on applying classroom information in the
practice setting and are offered immediately preceding or concurrently
with theory. As a student, you may choose among many convenient sites at
which to gain your clinical experience. We have arrangements with
facilities in Gaylord, Grayling, Traverse City, Cadillac, Tawas City,
West Branch, and Bay City.
The nursing faculty and administration are continually revising and
updating the program to meet the current trends in nursing education and
needs of students. They recently revised the curriculum to offer
full-time and part-time options and reduce the number of classes
required before students enter the program (beginning in fall 2001). So
students who must work or take many developmental courses may enter the
nursing program sooner. Our nursing instructors all have master’s
degrees, and most are advanced practice nurses. We’re committed to the
development of individual students and believe each one should be given
every opportunity and encouraged to develop his or her full potential.
Our mission calls for us to provide educational experiences that
cultivate personal growth and exploration, develop knowledge and skills
essential for job entry and career advancement, foster the development
of effective citizens, and meet the needs of the community and
profession.
BE PREPARED TO MOVE UP
 Because your educational goals may change over time and as you gain
experience, Kirtland’s nursing education program is designed to provide
upward mobility. It also affords a transfer opportunity for students
from other practical nursing programs.
A nurse may start out as an LPN, then return to Kirtland to obtain
the associate’s degree and become an RN. To prepare for an even broader
scope of nursing practice, he or she can then work toward a bachelor of
science degree in nursing from a four-year institution. (We have
established solid transfer agreements with many.)
Beyond that, a graduate education leading to a master’s degree or
certificate is required to practice in advanced specialty areas, such as
nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, and nurse
anesthetist. A doctorate is usually required for high-level
administrative, faculty, and research positions.
HISTORY OF THE NURSING PROGRAM
Kirtland’s nursing program is housed within the college’s Department
of Health Careers. Michigan’s State Board of Nursing granted Kirtland
full approval of its practical nursing program in December 1975 and full
approval of its associate degree nursing program in November 1985. The
associate degree program was developed in response to the needs of the
Kirtland service area, and in keeping with the trends in nursing career
mobility.
EAGER TO GET STARTED?
To receive more information about all the options available to you at
Kirtland Community College, call (989) 275-5000 and ask for the
Admissions Office. Or write to us at 10775 North St. Helen Road,
Roscommon, MI 48653.
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