BRIDGEPORT, WV — The WVJC School of Nursing has announced the launch of its new online/hybrid practical nursing training program. This program is accessible to students living within driving distance of the WVJC Bridgeport campus in Bridgeport, the WVJC Charleston campus in Cross Lanes, or James Rumsey Technical Institute in Martinsburg.

The hybrid program offers students a flexible way to balance their lives and education by combining online didactic practical nursing courses with in-person lab and clinical experiences. This format allows students to manage other responsibilities while working toward their practical nursing diploma.

“The hybrid online Practical Nursing (PN) program allows additional flexibility by limiting in-person time to lab and clinical experiences. We do this by placing the classroom environment in a collaborative online experience,” said WVJC Bridgeport Campus Director, Adam Pratt. “This adds an amount of flexibility to a PN student’s life because they are only in person for lab and clinical experiences while still maintaining the rigor and intensity of the PN training program.”

A notable feature of the new program is its direct admission approach. Once accepted and meeting all institutional requirements, students will be enrolled in the Practical Nursing program. After completing the 12-month program, they will earn a diploma in practical nursing and be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN).

The WVJC School of Nursing aims to address the workforce gap in West Virginia’s healthcare sector by training the next generation of practical nurses. The online/hybrid Practical Nursing program seeks to provide opportunities for students unable to attend traditional practical nursing programs.

“We have seen great success with our hybrid modality approach in Martinsburg with our RN students, and we’re excited to expand this opportunity to practical nursing students as well in order to produce more nurses to the workforce in West Virginia,” said WVJC Bridgeport Director of Nursing, Amanda Poling.

Applications are now being accepted for the first cohort of online/hybrid practical nurses, starting in September 2024. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit wvjc.edu for more information.