Barton Community College and Pratt Community College have formed a partnership allowing BCC to provide an Associate Degree of Nursing program in the Pratt area, starting in the fall semester of 2022. Barton trustees discussed the proposal Tuesday during their monthly study session and then held a brief special meeting where they voted to approve it.

In June, the Kansas State Board of Nursing withdrew approval for the Pratt Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program. Conversations with Barton began a short time later. 

BCC Director of Nursing Education Renae Skelton explained the plan. Pratt President Dr. Mike Calvert also attended the meeting, via zoom, and said he will ask his board of trustees to approve the partnership when it meets next week.

“Pratt is maintaining their practical nursing (PN) program, so that will be a nice feeder into our nursing program,” Skelton said. Eight students are currently enrolled in the PCC PN program.

Meetings were held with potential clinical sites such as Kiowa County Memorial Hospital in Greensburg. 

"They were receptive to our students doing their clinicals there,” she said, adding a need for nurses in the workforce has been documented.

“Sometimes the lessons will be generated from Pratt and Zoomed to Great Bend, but most of the time they will be in Great Bend and Zoomed to  Pratt,” Skelton said. “We have been approved for 30 additional students.”

Calvert said the PCC administration and board of trustees were “very excited about this.”

Pratt used to have the largest two-year nursing program in the state, with openings for 180 students, he said. The one-year PN program has had outstanding passing rates and PCC anticipates growing that program, he added. Some PN graduates go on for the two-year degree, so, “our goal is to hopefully help feed your program with on-campus students.”