Vermont Tech nursing students work in the life-like simulation laboratory on both the Randolph Center and Williston campuses. Learn more in the links below.
Nursing Students Work in Life-like Simulation Lab

Vermont Tech nursing students work in the life-like simulation laboratory on both the Randolph Center and Williston campuses. Learn more in the links below.
Vermont Tech’s online Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (BSN) program was ranked #5 out of 500 in the nation for Best Online RN to BSN Programs by RegisteredNursing.org, an organization of registered nurses based in Carlsbad, CA.
RegisteredNursing.org recognized that Vermont Tech’s program features online courses with local capstone experiences, a 100% job placement rate, and the opportunity for reduced tuition rates.
“From disease prevention to health and wellness promotion, Vermont Tech’s interdisciplinary BSN program prepares nurses to take charge of their careers and take care of their patients,” said Lisa Fox, DNP, MS/Ed, BS, RN, CNE, associate dean of nursing at the School of Nursing and Health Professions.
This accolade comes at a perfect time—the National League for Nursing has declared 2022 the Year of the Nurse Educator in recognition of the essential role of nursing education during the pandemic, and in celebration of its historic and continuing inspiration to nurses everywhere.
Why RN to BSN?
For decades, leaders in the field of nursing have encouraged associate’s and diploma level nurses to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Research has proven that nurses with this degree experience improved job satisfaction, improved patient outcomes, and fewer clinical errors.
Within the last few years, the push to hire bachelor’s educated registered nurses has gained momentum. It seems likely that in the future, a bachelor’s degree will be the minimum education requirement for registered nurses.
Online learning is more important now than ever before. Vermont Tech’s nursing program is leading the way and helping to secure the future of nursing.
As hospitals and healthcare systems make the push to hire more BSN-educated nurses, many RNs are considering a return to school to advance their education. Fortunately, online RN to BSN programs make this process quicker and easier than ever, and many RNs can continue working while they complete these programs.
Vermont Tech’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is an online degree-completion program intended for current RNs who are ready to pursue the next level of their nursing education while working. It is designed to prepare nurses to possess greater knowledge of health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction, and global health. The program includes studies in healthcare information systems, palliative care, advanced assessment skills, nursing research, holistic healing, leadership and management, and community nursing.
Our BSN program is offered entirely online with additional local precepted experiences.
The Vermont Technical College Practical Nursing-system-wide (distance education), Associate Degree in Nursing-system-wide (distance education), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN, distance education) programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation.
Vermont Technical College’s graduating class of 2021 achieved a 99% placement rate, reflecting that they are either employed or enrolled in continuing education programs after completing their certificate or degree. Since 2014, Vermont Technical College has had an average placement rate of more than 97%. As in years past, 98% of Vermont Technical College’s graduates in the class of 2021 are working in their field of study.
Coupled with the best return on investment of any higher education institution in Vermont according to a new study from Georgetown University, Vermont Technical College’s pillar remains its support of the State of Vermont’s workforce needs.
“This achievement affirms that our programs, and graduates, are in high demand,” said Karry Booska, director of Career Development at Vermont Tech. Vermont Technical College’s annual placement rate is calculated by a six-month outcome survey conducted by the college’s Office of Career Development.
The majority of survey respondents reported employment or continuing education in nursing and health professions, followed by engineering and computing, professional studies and management, and agricultural, plant, and life sciences.
“To the class of 2021, who persevered in the face of phenomenal challenges, we are so very proud of you, congratulations” said Patricia Moulton, president at Vermont Technical College. “We are so pleased to see you already changing the world in such a positive way.”
Graduates of Vermont Technical College’s Practical Nursing (PN) certificate and Associate of Science in Nursing (ADN) have exceeded the national average for pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for the third year in a row. The nationwide examination has been in place in the United States since 1982.
“At a time when Vermont is experiencing a nursing crisis, our graduates are coming into the workforce well-prepared to meet the needs of today’s healthcare environments,” said Patricia Moulton, president of Vermont Technical College. “That they have achieved this despite the challenges of learning during a pandemic is even more impressive.”
In 2021, the national NCLEX-ADN pass rate was 80.45%, the lowest in the history of the exam, and the national NCLEX-PN pass rate was 80.01%. At Vermont Tech, the pass rates were 86.7% and 97.9% respectively in 2021.
“There’s a reason why our graduates are passing this exam with flying colors and finding themselves sought after by employers throughout Vermont,” said Lisa Fox, DNP, MS/Ed, BS, RN, CNE, associate dean of nursing at the School of Nursing and Health Professions at Vermont Technical College. “Our students perform a high number of clinical hours in which they engage in hands-on learning. They leave our program ready to hit the ground running.”
Both the Practical Nursing (PN) and Associate of Science in Nursing (ADN) programs have a 100% job placement rate. This applied educational experience is delivered via a hybrid format of classroom learning, clinical training, and telepresence technology modalities.
Students have the option to progress within the program through the bachelor’s degree, or may enter the workforce directly after receiving their certificate or associate degree.
The career ladder approach is provided in a 1+1+2 model which allows for the completion of the PN certificate, which provides eligibility for an LPN license. This may be followed by the completion of the ADN, leading to eligibility for registered nurse (RN) licensure, and culminating with a post-licensure online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) option.
The PN and ADN programs are offered at 14 locations across Vermont and New Hampshire, including Bennington, Berlin, Brattleboro, Lyndonville, Middlebury, Morrisville, Newport, Randolph, Rutland, St. Albans, White River Junction, and Williston in Vermont and in Hanover and Keene in New Hampshire.
As published in Seven Days by Colin Flanders
Vermont has long needed more nurses than its colleges can train, and the gap has only widened during the pandemic as burned-out health care workers retire or quit faster than they can be replaced. Hospitals are filling hundreds of vacant nurse positions with expensive traveling workers, while the state has assembled its own team of temps to prop up long-term care facilities.
The supply-and-demand equation is expected to worsen. A third of Vermont’s registered nurses are at least 55 years old, meaning that the next decade will likely bring another wave of retirements. It’s now estimated that Vermont will need to add 1,800 nurses in each of the next five years to keep pace with the demand. That’s about three times as many graduates as Vermont’s four colleges with nursing programs — the University of Vermont, Castleton University, Vermont Technical College and Norwich University — produce annually combined.
Concerned by these trends, Vermont’s elected leaders say the state’s nursing shortage has become a true crisis, one that can only be resolved by enlarging the training pipeline.
“We have to be aggressive in addressing this shortage now,” state Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint (D-Windham) said at a news conference last week, alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Gov. Phil Scott. “We need to do this for all Vermont communities, because when we need medical care, we want to make sure that somebody is there to help us.”
Vermont nursing programs have steadily grown over the last two decades and now graduate about 500 to 600 people annually, though a fourth of those end up leaving the state. College leaders say a number of common barriers prevent them from further increasing their enrollments. One of the biggest: a lack of teachers.
Vermont needs about 50 more full-time nursing instructors on top of the 75 it already has to begin preparing an adequate number of new nurses, according to estimates from Sanders’ office. That’s a daunting figure given how difficult it can be to fill the positions already available; several nursing faculty jobs have been vacant for months at Vermont Technical College.
College leaders blame their recruitment challenges on salary disparities: Nurses can make far more money working in the field than teaching others how to be a nurse. The average faculty gig pays $65,000, Sanders said. By contrast, the average registered nurse in Vermont makes $72,000, while the top 10 percent earn $98,000 or more, according to data from the state Department of Labor.
Helen Papeika, who chairs Castleton’s nursing program, supplements her income by picking up shifts at a hospital. She would make far more money were she to focus solely on clinical work, but she said her love of teaching makes the sacrifice worth it. That’s not a decision everyone can make.
“You also have to live,” she said. “It’s a tough balance.”
Educators acknowledge that boosting instructor pay would help lure people into faculty jobs but say they’d be unable to afford it without help from the state or federal government. They’d get that money if it were up to Sanders, who used his remarks at last week’s nursing workforce news conference to highlight the “abysmal” pay of nursing educators, pointing out that hospitals expect to spend upwards of $75 million on their temporary workforces this year.
“Instead of spending money to educate nurses who will be part of a long-term sustainable workforce, we are spending huge sums of money on people who come into the state and then leave,” Sanders said. He vowed to work with state leaders on increasing instructor pay, though he offered no specific plan or funding source.
Vermont nursing faculty are required to have master’s degrees, something few nurses have earned. Castleton recently launched an online graduate program to join UVM and Norwich in offering a master’s degree in nursing, so there’s hope that the pool of potential faculty will increase over time. Uptake has been slow so far, though; in its first year, Castleton’s program has only five students.
“There’s nurses working in hospitals who would love to teach but say, ‘I don’t want to pay for another degree,'” said Sarah Billings-Berg, the associate dean of nursing education at Vermont Technical College.
Inadequate infrastructure represents an additional barrier for some nursing colleges. Vermont Tech has 14 nursing class locations around the state. Some of those classrooms can accommodate fewer than a dozen people. Others have old equipment in need of replacement. “We have some investment to do before we can grow too much,” Billings-Berg said.
Every department at UVM is looking for more classroom space, said dean of nursing Noma Anderson. “More space to teach our students — even office space,” Anderson said. “Our faculty are sharing offices. The chair of nursing has told me: ‘If I had more space, I could bring in more students.'”
Vermont colleges are far from alone in these challenges. U.S. nursing schools turned away some 80,000 qualified applicants in 2019 due to shortages of faculty, classroom space and other resources, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Even if Vermont found more space and faculty for its nursing colleges, it would still likely need to get more people interested in becoming nurses. One way to do that is through financial incentives.
Nursing programs aren’t cheap; in-state tuition at Vermont Technical College and Castleton costs $15,000 a year. Two state scholarship programs seek to reduce this burden by giving money to people who agree to work in Vermont for at least a year. But the programs are highly competitive and distribute only $1.2 million annually — enough for only 200 or so nurses.
Last year, the legislature spent $5 million in federal funds to set up a free-tuition program at the Vermont State Colleges System to support students pursuing nursing and other “critical” occupations. It was wildly popular — so popular, in fact, that the system ended up with about 230 more requests than it could fulfill. The system eventually funded $2.4 million in additional scholarships and is now seeking reimbursement from the legislature.
Vermont Technical College employs a “1+1+2” ladder approach that allows students to obtain lower-level nursing certification and join the workforce before continuing their education. Students on the lowest rung go through a one-year program that certifies them as licensed practical nurses, or LPNs, who work under the supervision of doctors or nurses and provide more basic care: taking vital signs, collecting samples, administering medication. From there, students can earn a two-year associate’s degree and seek certification as a registered nurse, then pursue the final two years of a bachelor’s degree.
The free-tuition initiative was announced after the application deadline for the one-year LPN program, so it did not lead to an enrollment boom. But it did help double the online nursing bachelor’s program from 50 to 100 students, Billings-Berg said.
The state college system has asked for $10 million in the upcoming budget adjustment act to re-up and expand the free-tuition program. Nursing college leaders are also pushing for additional loan repayment programs and say they could use money to increase support services such as advising and tutoring, in hopes of cutting down on student attrition.
Meanwhile, Gov. Scott’s administration has proposed two initiatives to bolster recruitment and retention of health care workers. One would allocate $15 million for organizations hardest hit by staffing shortages so that they could offer bonuses to workers who agree to stay in the state for a year or two. The other would use $18 million in federal funds to support home- and community-based providers with bonuses, training and career advancement opportunities.
As the legislature gets back to work this month and begins to divvy up the latest trove of federal funds, Democratic leaders say addressing the nursing shortage will be one of their priorities. That’s welcome news to college leaders such as Anderson, the UVM dean of nursing, who believes that her school can help solve the crisis.
“We are proud of what we’re doing, but we know we could do more,” said Anderson. “We certainly want to educate more.”
The original print version of this article was headlined “Dearth of Nurses | Training isn’t keeping up with demand for crucial health professionals in Vermont”
Effective Friday, August 13 all faculty, staff, students, and visitors are required to wear a mask when indoors on campus at any Vermont Tech location.
This is in accordance with the CDC’s latest recommendations. This decision follows our recent announcement to mandate a COVID-19 vaccine of all enrolled students.
The latest research on the Delta variant shows that even a high vaccination level is probably not enough, by itself, to prevent significant infections on college campuses. As such, each of us donning a mask embodies the Vermont Tech’s values because it strengthens our ability to hold in-person classes and activities and it protects our friends who may be immunocompromised or have unvaccinated children at home.
The new Delta variant has the potential to infect people with the vaccine. The good news is that those who are vaccinated are much less likely to have severe symptoms, so the vaccine is working. But it is spreading more with this new variant. The CDC has recommended masks be worn indoors even by people who are vaccinated in high risk counties. A majority of the counties in Vermont have become high risk. To help mitigate the risk, the VSC system has implemented the mask mandate on all campuses.
No mask is required if working alone, such as in your office, or for on-campus residents when in their room alone or with their roommates. Everyone should have a mask ready for when conditions warrant their use.
Vermont Technical College now requires COVID-19 vaccination for all students enrolled during the 2021-2022 Academic Year. To be in full compliance a student must complete one of the following options before 8:00 am on August 23, 2021:
The goal is to maximize the number of vaccinated individuals for the safety of the entire Vermont Technical College community. Failure to be in compliance by August 23, 2021 will jeopardize the student’s ability to be present on campus for any reason. Please review information on vaccine availability in Vermont or in your home state.
The Executive Committee of the Vermont State Colleges System Board of Trustees voted this afternoon to require COVID-19 vaccination for all students enrolled in the 2021-2022 Academic Year. The safety of our students, employees, and local community members is our top priority as we continue to respond to the ongoing pandemic.
Our goal remains for all members of the VSCS community who are able to be vaccinated to get vaccinated. We urge you to make every effort to complete your vaccination as soon as possible. Requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered in accordance with Vermont law. Today’s decision by the Executive Committee does not apply to students who will not come on to the physical campuses for any reason during the 2021-2022 academic year, such as those who are taking classes exclusively online.
Any necessary updated guidance will be distributed to you shortly on how to report your vaccination status and we look forward to welcoming you back to classes next month.
If you should have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to your Dean of Students.
The resolution is posted on the VSC website.
Because of our community’s tremendous effort and sacrifice, we are increasingly confident in providing a campus and academic experience that is much closer to our traditional operations. While we don’t yet have all of the details, we eagerly anticipate a much-improved public health situation and a significant reduction in state mandates and restrictions this fall.
We strongly encourage everyone – students, alumni, staff and faculty – to get vaccinated. As a reminder, we will mandate the vaccine for enrolled students once vaccines are approved for permanent approval by the FDA. This will be in addition to the other vaccines currently required by the Vermont Department of Health. Once the COVID-19 vaccine is required, requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered, in accordance with Vermont law.
After more than a year of modified instruction and limited campus housing, President Patricia Moulton has announced the college’s intention to return to full in-person academic schedules for the fall of 2021. To serve the needs of students by providing our uniquely applied educational format, the college will reinstate a full contingent of in-person classes and labs in the fall. Many clinical experiences have continued throughout the pandemic for our health majors, and will also be offered in-person in the fall.
“I have been very impressed by our college community’s ability this past year to adapt and pivot to meet the guidelines of the State, the CDC and the Vermont Department of Health while meeting the educational needs of our students,” says President Moulton. “I am looking forward, however, to returning to a sense of normalcy and togetherness as we set our sights on reopening fall 2021.”
As of this writing, the academic calendar for fall 2021 will not be modified to condense the schedule for the purpose of returning students to their home communities after the Thanksgiving break. Remote learning will not be the dominant delivery format for all courses. The college’s portfolio of online and hybrid courses will be available as they were pre-pandemic. Residential housing will continue to be offered on both the Randolph Center and Williston campuses for fall 2021.
This plan will continue to be based on the shared responsibility of our entire community to adhere to any remaining safety measures and follow protocols during the coming academic year. We can likely expect that we will continue to wear masks and practice forms of social distancing into 2022. However, the trends in cases and vaccinations has led us the conclusion that our fall reopening plans are viable to return us to our campuses, classrooms and in-person labs.
More details about housing options and the academic calendar will be rolled out during the spring semester. Departments and offices will work to formalize details in the coming months.
Today, the Vermont State Colleges System Board Chair, Chancellor, and Presidents held a press conference to announce the new legislation that creates several scholarship programs for Vermonters. Thanks to the Legislature and Governor, Vermont is funding several incredible opportunities for high school graduates and adult learners at the Vermont State Colleges this year. We are grateful, especially to the Legislature, for their prioritization of higher and continuing education and workforce development in their strategy for allocation of the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
These scholarships total a $15 million investment in Vermont students. This helps address the affordability of public higher education. We are thrilled that our students are reaping the rewards of this tremendous opportunity this year.
The new scholarship initiatives are
VSAC also joined the press conference to present their state-funded initiative that also apply to students interested in taking a course tuition-free at one of the Vermont State Colleges System institutions: Green Mountain Grad and 802 Opportunity Grant. These programs are both provided by VSAC.
The press conference streaming archive is available on the VSC YouTube channel.
Vermont Tech is flying high, and it’s not just among its Professional Pilot program students. The college has been included in Newsweek Magazine’s The 100 Community Colleges With the Most Bang For Your Buck list. Ranking at 39, Vermont Tech is cited for the $1,050,000 40-year net present value, or a comparison of investing in a Vermont Tech education to future value. The $1M-plus value is a combination of affordable tuition and high earnings potential for the professional programs of the college.
Vermont Tech was included on the community college list for its portfolio of associate degree programs, but was also noted for offering, “programs ranging from certificate to associate and bachelor’s degrees.” The college also offers a Master’s in Software Engineering.
Another notable correction to the article is that graduates of Vermont Tech have historically achieved a 99% placement rate over the last five years, including the Class of 2020 that graduated into a pandemic. The Career Services webpage shows the rates back to the Class of 2016.
The Newsweek list is based on data derived from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University in their First Try at ROI study.
We are pleased to share the good news that Inge Smith-Luce has been granted a VSCS Faculty Fellowship for fall 2021 by the Vermont State Colleges System Board of Trustees. This is an exciting opportunity for Inge and the college stands to benefit greatly from her upcoming project work.
As outlined in Article 42 of the Faculty Federation Agreement, outstanding tenured faculty may be selected for a Faculty Fellowship to offer a public lecture, reading, exhibition, performance or recital at their institution. To create this original work, the Faculty Fellow may receive financial support to assist with this work and a reduction in workload of three credit hours. Per the Faculty Fellows process, nominations were considered and only two new fellowships were granted.
Inge Smith-Luce’s fellowship-winning proposal is to create multidisciplinary simulation cases that can include Respiratory Therapy, Paramedicine, Radiologic Science, and Nursing. These cases will create a collaborative workspace and promote interdisciplinary communication, a skill included in licensure testing for each field. The goal of this project is to create simulation materials which could be used by any of the departments alone, or in any combination of specialties.
Inge is a full-time nursing faculty member and the Program Director for the Paramedicine program, which she started at the college. Inge works as a Paramedic, as an RN in the Emergency Department and at a mountain-side medical/ortho clinic in the winter, as an Assistant Medical Examiner for the State of Vermont, and as the EMS Coordinator for VT EMS District #12. Her love of education and supporting the learner keeps her deeply committed to advancing her own knowledge and skills. One of the things that Inge believes is so special about Vermont Tech is the ability of students to learn to apply their knowledge in meaningful ways during their education. To increase their practice with communication, and specifically “handover reports” (critical communications between practitioners in healthcare settings), Inge’s project will increase the sense of community and collaboration between disciplines while students are in college.
Inge’s proposal is forward looking and enables collaboration between our health occupations programs and other programs at Vermont Tech and the VSCS. Please join Vermont Tech in congratulating Inge on her achievement of Faculty Fellow!
Vermont Tech is pleased to announce the 2nd annual Choose Vermont Scholarship program has launched! The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation and 13 Vermont colleges and universities, including Vermont Tech, are partnering in the 2020 Choose Vermont Scholarship Program, which will award $60,000 in scholarship money to students who commit to attend a Vermont school by June 1. Both out-of-state and Vermont students are eligible to enter.
The program was developed through a partnership across Vermont’s higher education sector to market Vermont as a top destination for attending college. The campaign targets students already accepted to a Vermont school, encouraging them to take the next step and “Choose Vermont.”
“As we work to grow our workforce and help Vermonters in their careers, our higher education system plays a critical role,” said Governor Phil Scott. “These institutions, however, are feeling the effects of Vermont’s demographic crisis and declining enrollment. It’s a testament to Vermonters’ ingenuity and collaboration that public and private partners are willing to work together to pool marketing resources and highlight the state as an ideal location for higher education.”
“The variety of higher education institutions we have in Vermont makes it a wonderful landscape for attending college. Whether you are looking for a top liberal arts school or learning a trade at a technical school, Vermont has it all,” said Ted Brady, Deputy Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. “Couple that with tremendous access to outdoor recreation, the arts, and welcoming and vibrant communities, and it all adds up to an incredible place to attend college.”
Students who commit to attend one of the 13 participating Vermont schools between January 1, 2020 and June 1, 2020 and then register at ThinkVermont.com/scholarship will become eligible to win a $5,000 scholarship to their school. The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation will offer an additional $5,000 scholarship to a student who commits to any of the 13 participating schools.
The inaugural Choose Vermont Scholarship Program was launched in May of 2019, giving away two $5,000 scholarships and drawing over 1,400 entries. The success of that program led to more scholarship funding from colleges statewide for the 2020 program.
The Choose Vermont Scholarship Program is made possible by Vermont’s participating colleges and universities along with the support of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges, and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
For full details and to find participating schools: https://www.thinkvermont.com/scholarship