JosephÌýEffaÌýwas working in construction when the economy took a sudden turn, and he realized it was time for a career change.Ìý
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,†he said. “I was looking at going into some sort of public service. That meant becoming a police officer or teaching, but then I went to Â黨ÐÇ¿Õmv and discovered nursing and it just grabbed my soul.â€Ìý
A fellow LMC nursing student, his future wife, KathyÌýEffa, meanwhile, took his heart.ÌýThey both finishedÌýtheir nursing associate in science degree in 1985.ÌýThirty-four years later, the couple, who both work in leadership roles at Spectrum Health Lakeland, credits their time at Â黨ÐÇ¿Õmv for establishing the foundation for their careers. JosephÌýEffaÌýis an administrator for Lakeland Homecare, while KathyÌýEffa, is the hospital's emergency department manager.Ìý
"Our LMC education set us up for success throughout our entire careers," KathyÌýEffaÌýsaid. "To this day, I still love nursing, and it's all because of the foundation I learned at LMC."Ìý
LMC celebrates the 50th anniversary of its associate degree program for registered nursing (RN) this fall.ÌýWhileÌýbasic science and academic courses of the Mercy School of Nursing were taught at Benton Harbor Junior College in the late 1940s, and LMC also has offered a licensed practical nurse certificate program (LPN), the establishment of the RN programÌýhas madeÌýaÌýlarge and lastingÌýimpactÌýon health care in the region.Ìý
"Many of the nurses in the health system locally are our grads,"ÌýsaidÌýDr.ÌýDana Jenkins, LMC'sÌýProgramÌýChair/Director of Nursing.Ìý"They are proud of where they came from and what they've learned. I think that speaks to our reputation."Ìý
LMC's nursing program received full approval from the Michigan Board of Nursing in 1978 and has been accredited by the Accreditation Commission forÌýEducationÌýin Nursing since 1981, with a re-accreditation visit scheduled for theÌýspringÌýof 2021.Ìý
Historically,Ìýthe program has a job placement rate of 100 percent withinÌýnineÌýmonths of graduation, andÌýan impressiveÌýpass rate on the state board exam. For example,Ìý96 percent ofÌýthe 2018 graduating classÌýpassedÌýthe state board exam on their first attempt.Ìý
"Students from LMC are way more prepared to come out and hit the ground running than even some four-year programs," JosephÌýEffaÌýsaid. "LMC has been successful because its students are ready to perform."Ìý
Supported by eight full-time faculty members,Ìý26Ìýpart-timeÌýfaculty, and two staff membersÌýconsisting of a Nursing Education Center (NEC)Ìýmanager andÌýSimulationÌýTech,ÌýLMC's program continues to adapt to a changing landscape.ÌýÌý
In June 2016,ÌýtheÌýÂ黨ÐÇ¿Õmv Board of Trustees approved $184,062 to update and enhance the Health Science Simulation Lab.ÌýThe Lakeland Foundation supported theÌýenhancement by purchasingÌýaÌýSimBabyÌýbaby manikin for theÌýproject. A Michigan State Board of Nursing grant for $12,121Ìýreceived earlier this year helped purchase additional simulation equipment,Ìýincluding aÌýHearing Distressing Voices Simulation, aÌýNursing Kelly manikin withÌýhandheld remote andÌýsoftware, a manikinÌýcarryÌýbag and twoÌýIVÌýsimulationÌýtrainers.Ìý
LMC’s new simulation lab now features four high-fidelity manikins and four beds with eight more beds in the NEC skills lab.ÌýThe program also usesÌýaÌýPyxisÌýMedStation, the automated medication dispensing system used in hospitals today.Ìý
"We nowÌýhave a real debriefing room, which is a key part of simulation,"ÌýJenkinsÌýsaid. "The new spacesÌýallowÌýus to have more rooms for simulation scenarios and an increase in technology to perform our simulations in a more real-world experience."Ìý
AÌýforthcomingÌýcurriculum revision will allow students to enter the program in either the fall or springÌýsemesterÌýbeginning in the fall of 2020. This will allow for an increase from 88 to 96 studentsÌýper academic year.Ìý
"One of the things that speaks to our success is the ability to evolve," Jenkins said. "The nursing school of 50 years ago looked a lot different than nursing school today."Ìý
Despite technological enhancements, theÌýtrueÌýsuccess of the LMC programÌýis centered onÌýthe continuedÌýfocusÌýonÌýthose who choose nursing as a profession.Ìý
"The spirit of nursing is still going strong," saidÌýShelleyÌýHennen, who has taught nursing at LMC since 1979 andÌýhasÌýbeen a full-time faculty member since 2003. "Students come into nursing because they want to help people. I think that's the bottom line."Ìý
That's undoubtedly true for Luis Benitez, who graduated from the LMC program in May, and now works in the oncology unit at Spectrum Health Lakeland. While he knows his career has just started, he already knows where he hopes it will lead.Ìý
"Everything that I learned at LMC I now use in practice," he said. "I know I want to keep going further. I have just started working on my bachelor's, and eventually, I know that I also want to teach. Someday I hope I, too, can come back and teach at LMC."Ìý
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