Mesa Community College received $1.3 million from the Virginia Piper Charitable Trust, a portion of a $2.25 million grant from the trust to support the expansion of licensed practical nursing programs at three Maricopa Community Colleges — MCC, GateWay Community College and Glendale Community College and $750,000 from the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation.

MCC added a licensed practical nursing program for fall 2024 — fast track practical nursing, according to a release.

“Empowering our community through education and skill-building is at the heart of our mission supporting everyone to achieve success,“ said Richard Daniel, MCC president. “This generous grant from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust enables us to expand our nursing programs, directly addressing critical needs in our healthcare system and fostering the next generation of compassionate caregivers.”

Approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and the Higher Learning Commission, the fast track practical nursing program provides students with the theory and skills required to be a practical nurse in acute care, extended care and intermediate care settings. It also includes patient care learning experiences in hospitals, nursing homes and health care agencies. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination to become a licensed practical nurse.

Mary Boyce, MCC dean of Health Sciences says, “The training programs, degrees and certificates available at MCC align with current job market demands. Facing critical nursing shortages, community partners such as Banner Health and the Ensign Group emphasized their need for LPNs, which require only a year of classes a significantly shorter time of study than for registered nurses.”

For the spring 2025 semester, students may apply for the MCCCD LPN scholarship for help with tuition and fees. Applications are being accepted through Oct. 31. Awards will be announced at the beginning of December. Information about scholarships and other education funding sources is available at mesacc.edu/financial-aid.

The fast track practical nursing program is part of the expanding Allied Health Department based at MCC’s Red Mountain Campus, which also includes training for careers in dental hygiene, emergency medical services, health care technology systems and paramedicine.

Dean Boyce recommends students register as soon as possible for the seven-week nurse assisting course which prepares students to become a certified nurse assistant or a licensed nurse assistant. Go to https://www.mesacc.edu/departments/nursing/nurse-assisting.

“The nurse assisting, LPN and several other new programs can help students be successful, especially when entering a Registered Nursing program,” said Kathleen Mead, MCC NA program coordinator. “The Patient Care Technician course, which meets once a week for eight weeks, teaches procedures and tasks needed to become a Patient Care Assistant also very much in demand at hospitals.”

Registration for Spring 2025 opens Oct. 17.