Prisma Health Center for Nursing at Piedmont Technical College’s Laurens County Campus strengthens nursing workforce pipeline
The Prisma Health Center for Nursing at Piedmont Technical College has opened to students and the community alike, with the new center hosting a ribbon-cutting celebration on Thursday.
The new nursing center is part of a Prisma Health initiative to strengthen the nursing workforce pipeline in Laurens County and better address a nursing shortage there and in the surrounding region. Prisma Health donated $1 million to the PTC Foundation in support of the initiative.
The new center’s renovated laboratory and classroom space simulates real-world clinical and laboratory environments and will serve 80 students. The center, which opened this semester, is in PTC’s Laurens County Campus on Medical Ridge Road.
A key goal of the collaboration between Prisma Health and PTC is the creation of a career ladder that will enable students to progress from patient care technician to practical nursing to an associate degree in nursing, which will qualify them to take the licensure exam to become registered nurses. With the support from Prisma Health, PTC officials anticipate that enrollment and completion rates will increase in each section of the nursing career ladder program.
PTC President Dr. Hope E. Rivers said at the ribbon-cutting that the center represents far more than a cutting-edge instructional space.
“It's changing lives,” Rivers said. “It's opening opportunities for our students.”
Rivers also said that she “could not be more pleased with the partnership” between PTC and Prisma Health.
Jennifer Rogers, who serves as chief nursing officer for Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital and Prisma Health Hillcrest Hospital, said, “We’re excited that our investment has helped establish a state-of-the-art education center that will produce highly trained, skilled nurses who will care for patients here in Laurens County for decades to come.”
The ribbon-cutting Thursday was held in conjunction with the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Business After Hours event.
“It's important for Laurens County to have a strong workforce, and this is a great step in that direction,” said Dabs Davis, the chamber’s president and CEO. “Prisma Health is a great place for people to go to work. They take care of our patients and give good patient care. And this partnership between Piedmont Tech and Prisma Health is going to make a big difference in our community.”