NMU's School of Nursing is collaborating with Marquette-Alger Technical Middle College (MATMC) on a new Practical Nursing certificate program. The program was established in response to outreach from local healthcare providers who have expressed a critical need for LPNs.
Students who begin the program during their junior year of high school can earn their Practical Nursing certificate from NMU by the summer following their last year of high school/middle college.
"Current faculty will teach the Middle College program," said Kristi Robinia, interim associate dean and director of the School of Nursing. "Students complete their prerequisites in their junior and senior year. Their 'fifth year' is the PN program, which prepares them to take the national NCLEX-PN exam in order to become a Licensed Practical Nurse."
The Practical Nursing certificate ladders perfectly into NMU’s Registered Nursing major for those students who wish to continue their medical education. For more information on NMU’s School of Nursing programs, visit http://www.nmu.edu/nursing/home-page
As with all MATMC certificate/degree programs, all academic costs (tuition, textbooks, lab fees, etc.) are covered by the middle college and at no cost to students/families during grades 11-13. Students/families are responsible for non-academic expenses such as transportation.
Because this announcement comes after the regularly scheduled MATMC application period, the middle college will hold several seats for current sophomores interested in pursuing a nursing career. All interested students should contact MATMC Director Brian Sarvello at bsarvello@maresa.org or 226-5135, as soon as possible.
Sarvello said this is a good fit for current high school sophomores considering enrollment in the Marquette Senior HS or Ishpeming HS (also serving Negaunee HS & Westwood HS) Health Occupation program, or the nursing internship program at Munising Memorial Hospital (Alger County students).