Nov. 21, 2024
Nicole Richardson first came to Grand Rapids Community College in 2013 as a student in the Practical Nursing Certificate program. Now she volunteers as a preceptor, helping provide the same critical, hands-on training that she once received herself.
“I like to pay it forward, because someone took me on once too,” Richardson said. “It’s a real full circle kind of situation.”
GRCC's Practical Nursing program gives students firsthand experience by mixing classroom instruction with clinical lab work, while a variety of health care partnerships provide in-depth learning opportunities and connect students with potential employers. All this combined creates a high-quality, affordable path to becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in under a year.
Preceptors, explained Richardson, are an essential aspect of the program. They are experienced, licensed nurses who mentor and train nursing students during clinical rotations, and their role is to help students translate theoretical learning to clinical practice.
“You oversee them and guide them. I always start out by gauging their comfort level and building on that until they’re handling about 80 percent of their work themselves. At that point, I’m just guiding things,” Richardson said.
The real-world experience that comes with a Practical Nursing certificate from GRCC gives graduates an important advantage in an increasingly high-demand job market. The Michigan Health Council (MHC) predicts that, by 2033, there will be a shortage of 4,611 RNs and 520 LPNs to fill open positions in the state, a forecast that comes after Michigan experienced the most significant decline in its LPN workforce of all the Midwest states studied.
But for Richardson, love for the job – which began in high school while working with dementia patients as an aid in an assisted living facility – is the motivation.
“I loved the feeling of helping somebody have a better day, so I decided I wanted to become a nurse,” Richardson recalled. “Then I heard about the Practical Nursing program at GRCC, and I decided to apply.”
One of the most challenging aspects of the program, Richardson said, was also one of the most valuable.
“It was critical thinking, not just learning, memorizing, and regurgitating. For example, you would need to choose the most correct out of a series of potential answers. It was a little jarring at first to learn to think like a nurse but, once I had that, it was smooth sailing,” Richardson recalled.
After earning her Practical Nursing certificate, Richardson began working for Brookcrest Rehab and Life Center, where she completed a leadership rotation as part of the program.
“I got hired immediately after finishing my rotation, and I stayed there for eight and a half years. And I actually completed my Nursing Associate Degree at GRCC while I was working there,” Richardson said.
Now, Richardson works as a registered nurse at Corewell Health’s Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and plans to graduate in April from Davenport University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
And she knows her love for educating new nurses won’t end anytime soon.
“I like to help students complete their clinical training without stress or anxiety,” Richardson said. “I try and set them at ease and set them up for success, and it’s fun to watch them grow and be a part of that.”
This story was reported by Alissa Griffin.