STATE OF ILLINOIS Accelerated Credentialing Pathways for Military Veterans September 23, 2014
LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES Vickie Gukenberger, Associate Dean, College of DuPage
LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES (LPN) Bridge Program Accomplishments to Date: Completed gap assessments and identified bridge program requirements for Air Force and Navy Military Medics to obtain LPN licensure. Finalized and gained approval of curriculum from IL Board of Nursing for: College of DuPage (CoD), Illinois Central College (ICC), and Joliet Junior College (JJC). Upon completion, enrollees with receive a Certificate of Completion and they will be eligible to sit for the PN-NCLEX. Training requirements will be reduced from 1600 Hours to 250 Hours (42 credit hours to 6 credit hours), which equates to approximately an 18-month reduction. Additional Nursing Accomplishments: Military medics holding a valid National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians EMT certification may apply to IDPH for an Illinois EMT license Army Health Care Specialists are recognized by the Illinois Department of Public Health as qualified to be EMT(B) personnel and are eligible for Illinois licensure by successfully completing a skills verification and written competency exam.
LPN Goals to accomplish by the end of the Policy Academy: Bridge Programs stood up at three participating schools Establish broad awareness and institutional collaboration to develop sustainable pipelines for enrollment into the bridge programs moving forward Establish sustainable data collection and data sharing processes between participating state agencies, licensing entities, and participating schools to measure outcomes Identify additional educational institutions that are wellsituated to stand up a Bridge Program
LPN Key Remaining Tasks/Challenges: State Approving Agency approval for use of GI Bill benefits Standing up Bridge Programs for Spring 2015 semester Outreach and Admission: Launching targeted and mass outreach to veterans and servicemembers through various distribution channels Building a pipeline of enrollees that will ensure program sustainability Finalizing the Admission Packet Data Collection/Performance Measurement Establishing data points and data sharing processes with participating schools, the IL Board of Nursing, and the IL Department of Employment Security to measure outcomes
LPN Objectives for this Conference: Gain insights on messaging, promotional, and marketing strategies to assess interest, build awareness and attract student veterans to the Bridge Programs Gain insights on data collection and data sharing processes in order to track outcomes and measure performance
ADDITIONAL OCCUPATIONAL AREAS Physical Therapy Assistants Reviewing existing gap assessment from the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (military equivalent: Physical Therapy Technicians), and indications are positive that Illinois institutions could offer a bridge program Potential Schools: Southwestern Illinois College and College of DuPage Lake Superior College in Duluth Military Bridge PTA Program 20-credit, ONLINE A.A.S. degree completion program for military-trained physical therapy personnel. Enrollees: METC Physical Therapist Assistant Program (Army 303-N9, Navy B-303-0150, Air Force L8ABJ4J032 01AA) Dental Hygienists Equivalencies identified for Army and Navy servicemembers; exploring a course to conduct a gap assessment with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Radiologists Equivalencies identified in partnership with the Illinois Department of Emergency Management; exploring a course to conduct a gap assessment
CONCLUSION