Firestone’s Amy Larabee is part of a vanguard of a new group of nurses trained at Front Range Community College just as COVID-19 continues to swell numbers in intensive care units across the state.
Larabee, 41, and the mother of four children, is one of the first to graduate from Front Range’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program. Not only is Front Range awarding its first bachelor’s degrees in the school’s 52-year history, these also are the first four-year degrees in nursing from any school in the Colorado Community College System.
Front Range began offering classes in its new Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program in October 2019 and Larabee — already a registered nurse — is one of the first two of the college’s to graduate with a BSN, according to a Front Range news release.
“This is something I have wanted since I remember,” Larabee said. “I can now participate in research-based health care, and work at the bedside of patients. This has always been my goal.”
Community colleges generally award two-year associate degrees — but in 2018 the Colorado Legislature passed a law allowing them to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees in nursing, the FRCC news release states.
The legislation was aimed at addressing a statewide nursing shortage, said Edith Matesic, director of Front Range’s RN to BSN completion program.
Colorado is experiencing an annual shortage of at least 500 nurses with four-year BSN degrees, and the gap is expected to grow to a cumulative shortage of 4,500 nurses with BSNs by 2024, according to the news release.
The shortage of nurses is partially fueled by baby boomers retiring from nursing, Matesic said.
“We are suddenly seeing that gap widen,” she said.
She added times have changed since most nurses were only required to have a two-year associate degree, Matesic said. “Now many health care providers require their nurses to have a bachelor’s degree,” shesaid.
The BSN program requires work in nearly every field of science as well training in teamwork skills that are highly coveted in most hospitals and clinics she said.
“Our BSN completion option will allow more of our trained, skilled nurses to graduate and go directly into the workforce,” Matesic said.
COVID-19 also has shone a light on the rapid need for well-trained, qualified nurses who can react to nearly every situation, Matesic said.
“Research has found that hospitals that had more nurses with bachelor’s degrees had less infections and the patients were better prepared when they left the hospital setting,” she said.
Larabee said she likely spent “thousands less” in pursuing her bachelor’s at Front Range compared to taking classes at a large university. She also was able to finish her classes while still working as a director of nursing for a 54-bed rehab facility in Greeley. She previously completed her licensed practical nursing certificate and associate degree in nursing at Front Range.
“I started there and I figured I’d finish my bachelor’s degree there as well,” Larabee said. “With nearly all the classes offered online it really wasn’t a big deal for me to find the time.”
Matesic said there are about 40 students enrolled in the BSN completion program, with many prepared to graduate in the spring.
“More are coming,” she said. “The program is taking baby steps, but we are advancing.”
