West Virginia Northern Community College receives funding through Phase Three of West Virginia’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program

West Virginia Northern Community College has received $243,000 in funding via Phase Three of West Virginia’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program. The funding in this phase will build upon the improvements made by the college in the earlier phases, which included improving enrollment numbers in its Registered Nursing program and adding simulation labs and manikins for all three of its campuses to provide students with enhanced learning opportunities. The improvements in this third phase will continue to bolster the college’s nursing program successes.

According to an article on West Virginia Northern Community College’s website, Dr. Daniel Mosser, the college’s president, was quoted as saying, “WVNCC is deeply committed to growing a strong, skilled nursing workforce right here in West Virginia. This funding allows us to continue our momentum and invest in innovative strategies to support students, faculty, and healthcare providers throughout our communities.”

The college has laid out its Phase Three goals into five categories: Enrollment Growth, Student Success Initiatives, Faculty Recruitment and Retention, Retention of Graduates in West Virginia, and Pipeline Collaboration.

The college plans to boost its enrollment numbers by reimplementing its former LPN to RN Bridge Program for the Summer 2025 semester. This is intended to help more individuals who are already practicing as Licensed Practical Nurses to be able to advance in their careers and move up to becoming a Registered Nurse, which will also help fill the workforce gaps in the region. 

In order to help improve student success within the college’s nursing programs, it will be hiring a new Nursing Success Coach. The Nursing Success Coach will help nursing students pursue academic success via focused coaching and preparation for the NCLEX. The student success initiative will place a special focus on supporting at-risk students.

In the area of faculty recruitment and retention, the college will implement stipends to help retain six MSN-prepared faculty and support BSN-prepared instructors who are pursuing their master’s degree. This move will help ensure a steady pipeline of qualified nursing instructors will be on hand to educate future generations of nurses. Additionally, the school will place an emphasis on professional development to ensure faculty is always continuing to learn.

To form a pipeline of students who are interested in pursuing nursing at West Virginia Northern Community College, the school will work to attract students from high schools and technical centers via continued collaborations with its community partners. 

In order to keep these students in West Virginia once they have completed their nursing education, the college will work to form strong partnerships with local healthcare facilities to help facilitate more job placement opportunities.

Jill Keyser, the Nursing Program Director, said, “Our goal has always been to prepare students for the workforce and help them succeed every step of the way. This support allows us to strengthen every part of the student journey—from classroom to career—while expanding opportunities for those who want to make a difference in healthcare.”

For more information about West Virginia Northern Community College, visit the school’s website.