Dec. 12, 2024
For a group of Grand Rapids Community College Practical Nursing students, a recent pinning ceremony celebrated their entrance into a field brimming with possibilities.
The event, which took place in October at the Kroc Center in Grand Rapids, featured student and faculty speakers before each of the graduates received a special pin and took an oath known as the Nightingale Pledge, signifying their newly minted status as nurses.
Yasmeen Rubante, one of the graduates, said it was an emotional experience.
“I had my parents pin me, and it was really beautiful. My dad is a Cuban immigrant, and both he and my mom have been through so many struggles in life,” Rubante said. “I can’t even put into words the feeling of making them proud and having them there to usher in this new chapter of my life with me.”
Rubante and 21 other graduates completed GRCC’s Practical Nursing Certificate, which offers participants a high-quality, affordable path to becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in under a year.
The program mixes classroom instruction with clinical lab work – giving students direct, hands-on health care experience. A variety of clinical partnerships also provide in-depth learning opportunities while connecting them with potential employers, and Practical Nursing graduates successfully complete licensure exams at rates above the national and state averages.
All of this makes a Practical Nursing certificate from GRCC a valuable asset in a high-demand job market.
Nursing shortages exist across the nation, and Michigan is no different. Data compiled by the Michigan Health Council (MHC) indicates that, by 2033, Michigan will have a shortage of 4,611 registered nurses and 520 LPNs to fill open positions. And, from 2018 to 2023, Michigan experienced the most significant decline in its LPN workforce of all the Midwest states studied.
This shortage, combined with high wage earning potential for LPNs in Michigan – the MHC also ranked Michigan’s LPN wages as the second highest in the Midwest – means that great things are in store for the recent Practical Nursing graduates.
In fact, in 2020-2022, 100% of Practical Nursing graduates were employed when surveyed by GRCC.
Practical Nursing graduates turn certificates into career success
Rubante and her fellow graduates are already putting their studies to good use. Rubante has worked for the past five years as a certified nurse assistant in a variety of health care settings across West Michigan and, with a Practical Nursing certificate in hand, has secured a job with Corewell Health as an LPN.
“If you’re a GRCC student, workplaces know what you’re coming in already well-prepared for the job,” Rubante said.
Jessica Colby, who helped organize and emceed the pinning ceremony, and Monica Hunn are two more of the recent graduates who are already seeing career success, having earned their Practical Nursing certificates.
Colby spent years as an occupational therapist before leaving the field to raise two young children, eventually returning to health care when they reached school age.
“I’ve been working as a medical assistant at a podiatry clinic, but now I’m getting promoted there as an LPN,” Colby said. “I’m also on-call at Mary Free Bed, and I hope to someday work on an orthopedic floor in a hospital.”
Hunn worked as a certified nurse assistant for decades before deciding to enroll in the Practical Nursing program.
“I must have done pretty well in my clinical placement because, on day two, they offered me a job,” added Hunn with a laugh.
When asked, all three graduates said they would recommend the program to anyone looking to be well-prepared for an exciting career.
Rubante articulated it best, saying: “I feel like GRCC really set us up for success.”
This story was reported by Alissa Griffin.