By Tori Smith
The chest rises and falls. The eyes blink. The sound of the heartbeat changes. A high-fidelity mannequin lies in bed, and it has amazing abilities. It’s able to change its heart rate, the way its lungs sound, and its blood pressure.
Of course, the mannequin isn’t the one that is making the changes in its body. These changes are performed by a nursing instructor behind a one-way mirror who’s monitoring nursing students as they learn how to care for patients. The simulation lab gives students a safe space to learn, ask questions, and make mistakes, preparing future nurses who are trained and ready to care for the community.
Nurses are urgently needed in Arizona. An analysis done earlier this year predicted that Arizona will see a shortage of 30,000 registered nurses by 2025. The state's shortage of healthcare professionals ranks ninth highest in the nation and fifth highest for the fewest number of nurses.
There are currently no national nurse-to-patient ratio mandates, although some states have started to adopt them, such as California, New York, Oregon, and Massachusetts. Last year, the Arizona Nursing Association announced that it supported nurse-to-patient ratio regulation.
There are colleges aiming to better the future of the healthcare field and change the outlook of these ratios. Enter Coconino Community College and Maricopa Community Colleges.
Coconino Community College nursing program
The nursing program at Coconino Community College is completed in a sequence of four semesters, each embodying different experiences and skillsets for the students.
The first semester prepares students with basic nursing skills such as patient safety, medication administration, how to insert feeding tubes, and fundamentals such as oxygenation. The second semester includes more advanced nursing practices and clinical rotations in outpatient clinical centers.
The third semester is focused on topics including mental health, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Students can learn about mental health through immersive learning, entrenching themselves in the local community, going to K-12 schools and community mental health centers to learn how to practice care in these settings.
The fourth semester includes a clinical experience where each student is paired with a current nurse for four weeks, working alongside them and taking on their schedule. Additionally, the fourth semester prepares students for the National Council Licensure Examination to become a registered nurse.
Throughout the fourth semester, faculty members prepare students for the transition into the workforce. Some of this preparation work includes mock interviews and tips how for creating a resume. Students also learn soft skills like time management, communication, teamwork, and how to have a conversation with a healthcare provider over the phone.
With recent support from The Burton Family Foundation and other local funders in Northern Arizona, the program recently increased enrollment from 30 students to 40 per year. The program enrolls 20 students in the fall, and 20 students in the spring. With the recent program expansion, December 2025 will be the first semester where students graduate in both the spring and fall semester.
“We’re feeding brand new, excited people,” Katherine Costa, director of nursing and allied health said. “Students really want to do this, and they know they want to do it.”
Maricopa Community Colleges LPN program
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) monitor patient health, manage basic care, and keep up-to-date medical records. They work closely with and always report to a registered nurse or a physician.
A recent $2.5 million grant from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, along with additional support from The Burton Family Foundation and other local philanthropies, seeks to expand the LPN program at Maricopa Community Colleges.
The original LPN program was established at Gateway Community College and will expand to additional locations at Mesa Community College and Glendale Community College. Through the expansion, Mary Boyce, Mesa Community College dean of health sciences, approximates that the colleges will be able to serve an approximately 100 more students each year.
The one-year program enables students to learn skills like giving injections and administering medications, exercise real-word scenarios in simulation labs with high-fidelity mannequins, and participating in clinical rotations.
“There’s going to be a point in everyone’s life when they need a healthcare professional,” she said. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the number of Americans aged 65 and older will increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million in 2050, placing increased demand on the nation’s healthcare infrastructure as older adults typically require more frequent and complex care.
Boyce said that nurses are the ones who help communities that wouldn’t otherwise be helped. “It’s important to focus on the individuals that are being assisted,” Boyce said “Because of the community's support, not only are they changing the life of the individual student, but they’re changing the lives of the people in the community…I’m not sure there’s a greater gift.”
There are eager students and colleges in Arizona who are working to bridge the gap between employer needs and the number of qualified nurses there are to fill them. That’s why these programs are important.
If you're interested in learning more about Coconico Community College's nursing program, please visit https://www.coconino.edu/info/nursing-program. To learn more about Maricopa Community College's LPN Program, please visit https://www.maricopa.edu/degrees-certificates/healthcare-education/maricopa-nursing/application-processes#paragraph-3402.
Photo courtesy of Coconino Community College.