The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

LSC-O’s Allied Health Division held a recruiting fair for their nursing students with nine organizations represented, including:

 * Home Instead Senior Care * Hughen Center * Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation * Oaks at Beaumont * Physicians Network * West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital (WCCH) * HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital * Silsbee Oaks Healthcare * All Christus facilities

LSC-O’s nursing program has been holding these fairs for nearly 10 years. Gina Simar, director of the Allied Health division, and Janis Switzer, retired licensed vocational nursing (LVN) instructor, initiated the idea to bring healthcare representatives from southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana to campus. In 2006, Crystal Compton, administrative assistant for the nursing program, took over the planning and has since held 10 fairs on her own. She created the contact list for the organizations with the help of instructors, and sent out more than 50 invitations to a variety of facilities.

All third level LVN students were told about the event and encouraged to attend.

Courtney Dixson, an LVN student, enjoyed the fair, and received positive feedback from the Silsbee Oaks Healthcare facility.

“LSC-O, especially the instructors, sets students up with job opportunities very well.

The instructors are positive, and are there to push you and show you that you can do it,” added Dixson.

Representatives from the WCCH were excited to discuss career opportunities with students.

They answered many questions from the students including where LVN’s were allowed to work and whether WCCH hired degreed LVN’s without a license; overall the representatives had an overall pleasant experience from the initial communication until the fair was complete.

Compton commented, “Usually there are a few students that do leave with jobs the same day of the event out of each graduating class. All facilities that come are very impressed with the professionalism of our students here at LSC-O.”

LSC-O’s nursing programs are among the college’s most popular departments, attracting a wide variety of students from both Texas and Louisiana. Beginning this June, the Upward Mobility Nursing program will be offered online. Students applying for that program will now have the option of online or traditional classroom courses.

Leah Anne McGee, Upward Mobility Nursing program director, said, “The faculty feel this will meet the needs of our non-traditional nursing students, and are excited to be able to offer online classes.” Students accepted into the online program will be able to complete the lecture and lab portion of the program online, but will still be required to complete the clinical component of the program in the hospital setting.

LSC-O’s Allied Health Division offers degree and certificate programs designed to prepare students for careers in specific health care occupations. The programs, which range from two semesters to two academic years in length, include Dental Assisting, Emergency Medical Technology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Pharmacy Technology, Vocational Nursing, and Upward Mobility Nursing.

The division also offers a one-semester basic nursing course that prepares students to become certified nurse assistants.

For more information on LSC-O’s Allied Health Division and its programs, please visit http://www.lsco.edu or call (409)882-3044.