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SCC expands nursing program to McCreary Center

Somerset – Somerset Community College (SCC) has expanded its Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program in two counties in the response to the nursing shortage happening both regionally and across the state.
At SCC’s McCreary Center, nearly 5,000 square feet of space on the second floor will be transformed into an innovative learning center for nursing. When the project is complete in late fall, the campus will have a dedicated nursing skills lab with six hospital beds and manikins, a dedicated laboratory with state-of-the-art patient simulators, meeting areas, faculty offices and storage.
“We are excited to move forward developing these expansions and understand the importance of nursing education,” said Nancy Powell, dean for health sciences. “We are grateful that more students can attend nursing schools and further their degrees in McCreary County and Eastern Kentucky.”
SCC’s nursing program is fully accredited. Each year, more than 95% of SCC’s nursing students pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®). This exam is the same national licensing exam that is required by all registered professional nurses (RNs).
Students can complete SCC’s nursing program in about two years for less than $10,000. This is approximately 50% of the cost of other similar programs in the area. The College also has a number of partnerships with surrounding universities that enable students to seamlessly complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing after SCC.
In the spring, both programs will begin with a cohort of 25 students. Over time, the College hopes to expand the cohort and faculty at SCC to further support workforce needs.
“This is a truly exciting time for the College, the McCreary Center and our expansion into the community in Manchester,” said Carey Castle, SCC president and chief executive officer. “There has been considerable interest in expanding this program to these areas. We look forward to January when we will welcome our new nursing students and faculty to these centers.”
Funding for this program was made possible through a partnership with the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) at Jacksboro and Oneida/Huntsville for a partnership they established, along with Somerset Community College to address workforce needs in eight economically distressed counties in the two-state region.

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