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Show Nurses training program to meet critical needs of Southern Utah I Definite plans now have been 1 laid to begin training critically ' needed nurses for southern Utah I hospitals and nursing homes, the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education announced today. Beginning next fall quarter, which will become operational this Fall is identical to the first year of the RN program at Weber State College. When the law is changed, after the next session of the legislature, those students in the LPN program who meet entrance requirements will be eligible to complete the second year of the RN program. "The RN is really the professional nurse, and we hope to be able to offer the Associate nursing degree in the cooperative program by next year." He said the State Board of Regents had chosen to go the cooperative route to bring services ser-vices to Southern Utah as quickly as possible. "We owe a debt of gratitude especially to Senator Dixie Leavitt (R-Cedar City), Representative Sidney Atkin, (R-St. (R-St. George) and Warren Bulloch and Bruce Stucki from the State Board of Regents who have worked so hard with the various college administrators in bringing this cooperative program about," McCarrey said. For further information please contact B. Jackson Wixom, Jr. , 328-5617. Southern Utah State College, Cedar City, and Dixie College, St. George, will cooperate with Weber State College, Ogden, to provide licensed practical nursing training to a total of 24 students during 1974-75 from Utah's Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington counties. According to Leon R. McCarrey, Mc-Carrey, associate commissioner and director of academic affairs in the Utah system of Higher Education, selected students will be able to begin work at either of the two southern Utah colleges, eventually to complete their technical nursing and clinical study at Southern Utah State College. . "Until St. George's hospital is completed and accredited, students will need to complete their technical nursing and clinical study in Cedar City where there is an accredited hospital," McCarrey said. Final particulars are yet subject to review by an advisory council w hich will meet April 15, at SUSC. Its membership includes in-cludes representation from the cooperating institutions and from participating counties. However, plans now include: --The appointment by May 1, of a program coordinator who will oversee the entire program. --Immediate action to change Utah law in order to permit the LPN to expand next year into an Associate Degree program. When this law is changed by the Legislature, students will have the ladder concept option of either seeking certification as a practical nurse after a year's study, or completing a second year's study which would enable them to sit for the registered nurse certificate. Utah law now does not allow a student to begin seeking certification as an RN and step out after the first year of study to be an LPN. -The acceptance this year of 24 students into the program from Washington, Iron and the other three counties permitted, consistent con-sistent with population patterns. According to McCarrey, the LPN program is a basic nursing course which trains nurses at the technician level. The curriculum "m """IJ """" I nui fcg&MI III II .. 11 1 11 n. i.iim.i.i ,mmmuM fif lift' mrmmiir r" iiiflfir" ' in iHr yil.ilMjffl.t-ra ill ill IIIIIIHM I ENJOY SCENERY. Members of the Iron County Senior Citizens, including, left to right, Mrs. George Clinch, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Matheson and Mrs. Delbert Mortensen enjoy trip to Cathedral Gorge near Panaca, Nevada. |