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FALL RIVER – Diman Regional Technical Institute’s School of Practical Nursing, a post-secondary program that prepares students to become registered nurses (LPNs), has had to suspend its full-time program for this fall due to a shortage of qualified faculty.
Diman Superintendent Brian Bentley said the school has refunded tuition to 52 students and is helping them place in other state-approved nursing courses.
“It’s always unfair when you promise someone something … and then you don’t keep it,” Bentley said in an interview. “And the students did nothing wrong.”
The move does not affect students at the high school level.
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What is Diman’s LPN program?
Diman’s School of Practical Nursing is a separate program from the high school and is located at Commonwealth Landing on Davol Street. Because it is a post-secondary program, students must have a high school diploma or GED to be admitted.
The LPN program came in full-time and part-time versions. Bentley said the part-time version accepts fewer students and stretches the program to two years. The more intensive full-time version is the program that had to be suspended. The part-time program is still running.
Why did Diman suspend his full-time LPN program?
Bentley said the program does not have enough qualified instructors who have both professional experience and the necessary teaching experience and licensure.
People who worked as trainers in recent years have given up their training to take on other jobs, such as working as nurses in hospitals, which Bentley says is more lucrative.
“The instructors were dedicated, but it’s been a lot of work this year, and some of them have used their options to look elsewhere to see if the hospitals are hiring,” Bentley said. “We all know there’s a high demand for nurses in hospitals right now, and because they’re in such demand, they can command pretty good salaries.”
Diman’s program, which is overseen by the state Board of Registration in Nursing, tries to maintain a ratio of 10 students to 1 teacher. In past years, Diman’s program had six teachers. In early August, it became clear that the program would have only three teachers for the 2024-25 school year.
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“Because we have to support not only the 52 students in the (full-time) program, but also 17 part-time students, we would have a total of about 69 students for three teachers,” said Bentley. “And all three are still working on their teaching credentials, which are required by the Ministry of Education.”
After failing to hire additional staff before classes began in August, Diman’s governing bodies decided to suspend the full-time program, Bentley said.
“Putting three faculty members in this position would not do justice to the students who have enrolled in the program,” he said.
Is Diman’s part-time LPN program still available?
Yes, for now. The part-time program is a two-year course that begins in odd-numbered years. Later this month, part-time students in the LPN program will begin the second year of their course.
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What happens to LPN students who have paid tuition?
Bentley said they received a full tuition refund. According to the Diman website, tuition is $11,600 for in-district students and $18,000 for students outside of Diman’s district.
“We help them find other spots for LPN programs,” Bentley said. He said the school also offers to put students on a waiting list for Diman’s program in a later year.
What does the future hold for Diman’s LPN program?
Given the teacher shortage, Bentley said the school is working on a plan to change the format in the 2025-26 school year to become a part-time evening program.
A downside to the increasing demand for nurses in the labor market is that nurses who have the training and qualifications needed to train new employees may have an incentive to stay in the profession.
“If you try to compare the salary in a hospital to the salary in a school, it can be an eye-opener,” Bentley said.
Still, Bentley added, “We have a great group of vocational instructors here who have seen what the future holds and they want to teach it. Many of our instructors here are Diman graduates who have come back because they want to teach their craft, and that is very encouraging.”
