DSCC to Enhance CNA Programs in Lauderdale County Schools

Investment of over $65,000 from GIVE grant to provide state-of-the-art equipment and career counselor.

Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) has announced plans to invest over $65,000 in the Lauderdale County School System from the recently awarded $1 million Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) grant. These funds will assist in enhancing the existing Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) programs and health science labs in both Halls and Ripley High Schools. The new programs are scheduled to begin during the 2020-2021 academic year.

“The GIVE grant will give high school students a wonderful opportunity to be trained on state-of-the-art equipment as they prepare to become CNAs,” stated Dr. Karen Bowyer, president of DSCC. “Jobs are plentiful for CNAs, and this credential is a steppingstone to higher degrees in nursing and other healthcare careers.”

The GIVE grant is designed to foster long-term regional partnerships between Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT), community colleges, industry, economic development/workforce agencies, and K-12 to identify and address “skills gaps” in local workforce pools. The grant prioritizes career and technical education in economically distressed and at-risk counties in Tennessee.

In November 2019, DSCC was chosen as the fiscal agent of the GIVE grant for their CNA to Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) proposal, which will expand and enhance an educational pathway in nursing in rural northwest Tennessee. This pathway will begin with the CNA program through high school dual enrollment at DSCC; an 18-month evening and weekend practical nursing program at TCAT Ripley resulting in an opportunity to take the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) examination; an evening Registered Nursing (RN) program at DSCC; and ultimately a BSN from a four-year accredited university.

“The GIVE grant will allow opportunities for the students in the local high schools to receive training to become a Certified Nursing Assistant,” states Amy Johnson, DSCC’s dean of nursing. “The grant will enhance and equip current nursing labs in the high schools and it will allow students to follow a pathway from Certified Nursing Assistant to the BSN. We have partnered with the University of Tennessee at Martin and the University of Memphis which will allow a seamless transition from an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing to the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.”

Both Halls and Ripley High Schools will receive new equipment for the CNA program including laptops, laptop charging carts and mannequins that can simulate a variety of health conditions and scenarios. The grant will also provide career counseling to students enrolled in health care programs by employing a full-time career counselor. The career counselor will spend time in each high school to assist students in making the best decisions about their career path in the health sciences field.

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