The new A-B Tech School of Nursing was dedicated in a ceremony that highlighted the college’s nursing education legacy in western North Carolina dating back to 1959.
Nursing faculty, students, and alumni were joined by college, healthcare, and community leaders in the Ferguson Center for Allied Health and Workforce Development on A-B Tech’s main campus in Asheville.
“The establishment of the A-B Tech School of Nursing recognizes the critical role A-B Tech has played in educating and preparing nurses to work in hospitals and medical facilities throughout the region since the college was founded in 1959,” said A-B Tech President John Gossett. “A-B Tech has produced thousands of graduates who are essential in meeting the demands of the region’s healthcare industry and to delivering compassionate, high-quality patient care.”
When the college was founded, it assumed administration of the Asheville School of Practical Nursing, which had opened in 1954. A-B Tech offered the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program until 2015. Gossett said the LPN program will be revived this fall, pending final approval by the NC Board of Nursing at its May 18 meeting.
The new A-B Tech School of Nursing includes A-B Tech’s Associate Degree Nursing program (founded in 1970), the Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (RIBN) program with Western Carolina University, the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program, and the LPN program.
“The A-B Tech School of Nursing validates the college’s commitment to educational excellence and to expanding nursing education programs to meet the healthcare workforce needs of our community,” said Christy Andrews, the Jack and Carolyn Ferguson Endowed Chair for the School of Nursing. “Nurses are more in demand than ever for many reasons, including the pandemic and an…
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