Approximately 20 medical professionals at a Glen Burnie hospital are working as licensed practical nurses after finishing a 41-credit program taught by AACC professors at their workplace.

The University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center collaborated with AACC’s Health and Sciences Department to create the first on-site, off-campus credit program for nursing students.

“Practical nursing fills the gap where the [nursing] shortage is,” AACC’s LPN Program Coordinator Tracey Short said. LPNs perform basic care like checking blood pressure, taking vitals and observing patients, Short said.

The medical center has an immediate need for LPNs, Sandy Jones, AACC’s dean of continuing education and workforce development, said.

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration projects the demand for licensed practical nurses is expected to outgrow the supply between 2025 and 2032.

“It’s a good opportunity for students when they can have training on site at a medical facility,” Jones said. “It also gives the employer the opportunity to see the students in the lab, to meet with them and provide a pipeline for them for hiring.”

Jones said the medical center sought the extensive hands-on learning experience to help its own patient care assistants, patient care techs and mental health associates transition seamlessly to new roles in the hospital. However, AACC nursing students who meet the requirements for the program also may apply.