Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse The Hannah E. Mullins School of Practical Nursing’s lab clinical coordinator Kerstie Kenney checks out some of the technology available at the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center in Canfield to help train paramedics and EMTS, and will now be available for the nursing program.

CANFIELD — The Hannah E. Mullins School of Practical Nursing (HEMSPN) is relocating to the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center.

The new partnership w ill hold its first class this fall, then in 2026 will be moved into the new medical wing for which ground was broken on Wednesday.

According to HEMSPN Director Christina Devlin, the nursing school opened in 1957 as a hospital-based program under Salem Hospital. In 1991, it moved under the umbrella of the Salem City Schools as an adult education program. Now, the students work out of the Kent City Center in Salem.

HEMSPN was founded and named in memory of Hannah E. Mullins and the school has continuously adapted to support the evolving needs of its students.

“This fall will see our 129th graduating class,” Devlin said. “We literally have had thousands go through our program.”

She said the program focuses on LPN (licensed practical nurse). She said anyone with a G.E.D. who can pass an entrance exam can enroll in the course. The course runs 11 months and wraps up with the adult student taking the licensing exam.

An LPN has been projected to be a big need in the near future.

MCCTC recruiter and Marketing coordinator Jodi Glass said, “According to the 2030 Job Outlook report for the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), published by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) in July 2023, using the Ohio Bureau of Labor Market Information’s employment projection data, the overall projected change in new jobs due to industry growth is 3.6%, overall representing a 5,723 increase in jobs within the local and regional workforce by 2030. Projected change in employment specifically within the ‘Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (29-2061)’ is projected to have 0.7% change in employment with 3,013 total annual openings.”

Those figures are just in Ohio, meaning a licensed LPN is going to be in big demand over the next decade.

Devlin said it is not just an Ohio problem, but is nationwide. She said the HEMSPN graduates can fill the Ohio LPN jobs, as well as over 40 other states.

“We could be looking at 50,000 nurses needed over the next 10 years in Ohio alone,” Devlin said. “As for the national scene, we are part of a multi-state compact. When a student takes their license exam, they can request a multi-state license.”

She said the multi-state license means they would not have to retake the licensing exam in a state signed onto the compact.

MCCTC Adult Education Career Center Director Mary Mihalopoulos said HEMSPN will begin a class in August of this year. It will function separately while awaiting state accreditation. Once accredited, MCCTC will become the HEMSPN fiscal agent.

“It will open up opportunities for grants and create a pipeline for other training avenues,” Mihalopoulos said.

She said the high school at MCCTC already has a pre-nursing program offered through Allied Health. She said that program could be a route through the HEMSPN LPN course, creating a full career path.

Once the new MCCTC Health and Wellness Center is complete, HEMSPN is one of the programs that will be relocated to the new education wing next to the clinic.

With the modern training equipment and the fact HEMSPN may be open for more grants under MCCTC, the move is one that will benefit the LPNs who go through the 11-month course.

“The range of where we can work is limitless (at MCCTC),” said HEMSPN lab clinical coordinator Kerstie Kenney.

Late last week, the flier went live to seek students for the fall season. Devlin said she is looking at approximately 40 students to start in the fall. In less than a week, 20 already signed up.

Glass said the HEMSPN team will be on hand during the Tuesday open house at 6 p.m. The open house will feature the skilled trades, healthcare, veterinary assistant, firefighting, EMS and adult diplomas.

“Our relocation to MCCTC is a meaningful evolution in the story of Hannah E. Mullins,” Devlin said. “We are preserving the values and heritage that define us, while stepping forward into a space that will allow our students to thrive. This move truly brings together two legacies with one vision for the future of nursing education.”

For information on the nursing classes or any other adult education courses, visit the MCCTC website, or call 330-729-4100, or HEMSPN at 330-332-8940.