MORGANTOWN, WV – Laurel College of Technology is pleased to announce a streamlined nursing pathway at the Morgantown campus, designed to fast-track students into the healthcare workforce. By offering a 20-month Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) followed by an accelerated 10-month Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) addition, Laurel is providing a critical solution to the growing demand for highly skilled medical professionals in North Central West Virginia.听

Laurel is thrilled to announce a historic milestone for the Morgantown location: the launch of the first听 Bachelor鈥檚 degree program for the school. 鈥淭his expansion marks our commitment to providing a seamless, high-quality educational journey,鈥� said Dr. Douglas Decker, Chief Operating Officer for Laurel鈥檚 trade school network.听 鈥淥ur hope is that this empowers our students to achieve their highest academic and professional aspirations.鈥�

鈥淭he need for skilled nursing leaders has never been higher,鈥� said Dr. Michelle Borland, VP of Nursing for Laurel. 鈥淥ur curriculum is designed for the modern nurse, focusing on patient safety, informatics, and evidence-based practice to ensure our students are ready for the complexities of today鈥檚 healthcare environment.鈥�

As the healthcare landscape evolves, West Virginia continues to face a significant nursing shortage. Laurel鈥檚 program allows students to earn their ADN and enter the workforce as Registered Nurses (RNs) in just under two years. Once licensed, graduates can seamlessly transition into the 10-month BSN program to elevate their clinical leadership and specialized care capabilities. Laurel鈥檚 program is also an option for any degree-holding nurse, who has an ADN (Associate Degree of Nursing) or ASN (Associate of Science in Nursing). This allows professionals to expand your degree and advance your career opportunities! Applicants who already hold their nursing degree must also have an active, unencumbered RN license in order to be eligible for the program.

鈥淥ur mission is to prepare job-ready professionals who can provide immediate, high-quality care to our community,鈥� said Dr. Decker, 鈥淏y combining intensive simulation lab training with strategic clinical affiliations, we hope to ensure our graduates are not just meeting industry standards, but exceeding them.鈥�

Key Features of the Program Include:

• Accelerated Timeline: Complete the ADN in 20 months and the BSN in an additional 10 months.
• Local Clinical Partnerships: Students gain hands-on experience through affiliations with WVU Medicine, Mon Health, and Encompass Health.
• Specialized Simulation: Training spaces utilizes high-fidelity simulation labs to prepare students for real-world critical thinking.
• Accreditation: Laurel鈥檚 Nursing program is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the West Virginia RN Board.
• BSN (10-month) Completion: Students of this portion of the program have no requirement for on-ground attendance. The courses are completed through Laurel鈥檚 eLearning system.

Laurel College of Technology is currently accepting applications for its upcoming class starting in May 2026. Financial aid is available for those who qualify. For more information on the ADN + BSN program or to schedule a campus tour, please visit .听

 

Laurel College of Technology (LCOT) provides career-focused higher education serving the North Central West Virginia region. Located at 200 Wedgewood Drive in Morgantown, LCOT is a branch of the Laurel Technical Institute (formerly Laurel Business Institute) in Uniontown, PA. Founded on a mission to bridge the gap between education and employment, the college offers specialized associate degree programs and now bachelor’s degree program, as well as diploma certifications in high-demand fields such as healthcare, cloud computing, electrical technology, and cosmetology. Nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and licensed by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, Laurel is committed to small class sizes, hands-on training, and fostering a diverse, inclusive learning environment. For more information on our programs, visit www.laurel.edu.

This year,听Respiratory听Care Week听颈蝉听October 20-26, and it’s a time to recognize respiratory professionals and draw attention to the field. Respiratory Care Week is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness about the essential role respiratory therapists play in patient care, particularly for those managing听chronic lung听diseases. Despite their critical role, respiratory therapists are often the unsung heroes听in patient care, providing essential support and expertise for countless individuals struggling to breathe.

Laurel’s current respiratory students are dedicated and hardworking, both of which are traits they will need to carry with them once they enter the field upon graduation.听

Please join us in recognizing our wonderful respiratory therapy students to celebrate Respiratory Care Week!听

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Interested in learning more about respiratory therapy? Click听听to watch a short video!

91福利社, a well-known family of post-secondary technical schools founded in 1985 in Western Pennsylvania, is providing residents of York County, SC, and surrounding areas a new state-of-the-art healthcare educational facility at 127 Ben Casey Drive, Suite 101, in Fort Mill, SC.

Laurel Institute of Technology鈥檚听school will offer post-secondary students the opportunity to earn a听Diploma in Cardiovascular Technology听in just 16 months. The first class will begin this fall on September 13, 2023. Day and night programs will be offered.

鈥溙齜ecause we learned that healthcare providers in the area are specifically in need of more trained allied health professionals,鈥� said Nancy Decker, President of 91福利社. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited about the York County region because the healthcare system is rapidly expanding, but they need skilled technicians so they can continue to grow and service the community鈥檚 residents. Currently, employers in the medical community can鈥檛 find enough qualified employees to fill all of their openings. Laurel has a long history of providing quality healthcare training and wants to be part of the solution and provide individuals with the skills, training, and certifications that are needed to help grow the economy in the region. Furthermore, there is a strong connection in the Charlotte area to Western Pennsylvania, so we felt this community was the perfect fit for us.鈥�

In 2022, the U.S.听听(BLS) showed that healthcare openings are projected to grow 13 percent between 2021 and 2031. Specifically, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 10 percent increase in openings for听. Cardiovascular Technology (CVT) students are trained in the performance of non-invasive cardiac testing, such as EKG (ECG) and cardiac sonography/echo tech procedures, which provide valuable recorded data utilized in cardiac medical evaluation. Cardiovascular technicians perform diagnostic, administrative, and clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by the physician.

The new CVT program will train students to be vital contributors to the health and well-being of our communities, which we feel is so important right now. The material covered in the CVT program will introduce students to how to perform cardiac sonography/echocardiogram procedures and provide preparation for graduates to take the national certification examination to become a Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT) and Certified Rhythm Analysis Technician (CRAT) through Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). The program will have access to a well-designed and equipped skills lab for experiential learning that students will utilize throughout the program to prepare them for certifications, critical thinking, and patient care. Students will take courses in Anatomy & Physiology, Phlebotomy, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Medical Law & Ethics, Cardiac Sonography, Cardiovascular Technology, Non-invasive Cardiology, and much more! With small class sizes and great faculty, Laurel has high hopes of helping build great healthcare workers for the community and surrounding areas.听In addition,听Laurel Institute of Technology is establishing healthcare affiliations with many of the area鈥檚 leading healthcare systems. The students in Laurel Institute of Technology鈥檚 healthcare programs will receive invaluable employment opportunities from all affiliations.

Founded in 1985, Laurel family of schools, including Laurel College of Technology, Laurel Business Institute (LBI), and Laurel Technical Institute (LTI), is a well-known post-secondary technical school organization that offers hands-on training and small class sizes, taught by highly skilled and experienced instructors.听Laurel convenes annual program advisory committees comprised of local employer and community stakeholders to evaluate and review the curriculum as well as guide the institution鈥檚 development.

In addition to the new Fort Mill school, Laurel has three other locations throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including Hermitage, Morgantown, and Uniontown. In addition to licensure by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, Laurel is licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools under the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the State of West Virginia. Students are eligible to apply to participate in federal and state financial aid programs as the school is accredited nationally by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. In addition, 91福利社 was named as one of the top 25 two-year trade schools by Niche in 2023.

Other specialized associate degree programs are offered online through Laurel College of Technology, LBI, and LTI, including Medical Lab Technician, Medical Billing and Coding, Accounting and Business Administration, Cloud Computing, Culinary Arts, and Early Childhood Education. On-ground programs offered at various Laurel schools include Nursing; Respiratory Therapy; Skilled Trades, such as Electrical and Welding; Cosmetology; Computer Networking; and Culinary Arts. The school has plans to add more programs in the future.

Enrollment for the first class is currently underway, with the next class starting September 13, 2023.听 Prospective students are invited to visit Laurel鈥檚 website,听www.laurel.edu, to schedule a personal tour of the new facility Monday 鈥� Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Conveniently located in Fort Mill, SC, Laurel Institute of Technology is a short drive from interstate I-77 (Exits 88 or 85) off of Highway 160 in the new One Sixty West II Medical Building. For more information, visit听www.laurel.edu听or call 803-802-0700.