Salem nursing school to graduate 100th class

By Amanda C. Davis

news@vindy.com

SALEM

For more than 50 years, graduates of Hannah E. Mullins School of Practical Nursing have been caring for patients in communities near and far.

Come August, the school will graduate its 100th class of students, something the school’s director called a “significant” accomplishment.

Director Kathy Reagan said 40 students are part of the 100th class and will be commemorated during a reception around graduation time.

She said the 100th class is a big deal for a small school because the program has expanded over the years despite tough economies and changes in the school’s location.

“We’ve had our ups and downs,” she said. “We’re a small school, and we rely on tuition because we don’t receive funding.”

The school, founded in 1957, enrolls two classes per year. Reagan said licensed practical nurses start out making between $16 per hour and $19 per hour. Many don’t have the money or time to enroll in traditional college programs, Reagan said, explaining many are single parents trying to balance family, school and a job.

She called the school one of the city’s “best kept secrets,” and said most student referrals come from word of mouth.

The school, 230 N. Lincoln Ave., was founded when Salem City Hospital, now Salem Community Hospital, closed its school for registered nurses and established the practical-nursing program.

It started in a private residence but moved in the late 1970s to Salem Community Hospital. It then became affiliated with Salem City Schools in 1991 and is currently housed in the former middle school, now known as Kent State City Center.

Instruction takes place in classroom and lab settings, and clinical experience can be gained at several area facilities including East Liverpool City Hospital, Salem Community Hospital and Hospice of The Valley.

Howard Rohleder, president/CEO of Salem Community Hospital, said Hannah Mullins students graduate very well prepared for their field.

“Salem Community Hospital has a long and mutually beneficial history with the Hannah E. Mullins School of Practical Nursing,” he said in a statement to The Vindicator. “In addition to providing a clinical site for the training of their students, we also hire many of the school’s graduates.”

The 44-week, full-time program prepares students for a career in nursing at hospitals, long-term-care facilities, doctors’ offices, schools and home health-care agencies. It costs about $10,500, and though the school doesn’t find jobs for students, Reagan said 100 percent of them find jobs within six months.

“We also have a lot of students who use this as a steppingstone to further their education,” the director said. Many graduates pursue higher education in an associate or baccalaureate program to become a registered nurse, she said.

For more information on the program, visit www.hemspn.com or call 330-332-8940.