NW-SCC to celebrate 50th anniversary of Nursing Program

According to NW-SCC President Dr. Jeff Goodwin, the nursing program has positively impacted so many lives in Northwest Alabama. “We want to reach out alumni and community members that have benefited from our nursing program over the years and welcome them back to campus,” stated Goodwin.

The nursing program was started in 1972 on the Phil Campbell campus to help alleviate a shortage of registered nurses in Northwest Alabama. The program has grown from an inaugural class of 30 to almost 100 students in recent years.

“I believe the nursing faculty are the heart of the program,” said Brittney Humphres, NW-SCC Nursing and Executive Director of the Phil Campbell campus. “They are true student advocates who truly care about our students and them succeeding in their career.”

Ann Bales, a 1976 alum and retired NW-SCC instructor, said the program changed everything about her life. “Nursing has been the most amazing thing in my life, aside from my children,” stated Bales. “You experience things that forever change who you are as a person.”

According to Sandi Barnes, retired Vice President of Patient Services at Helen Keller Hospital and 1979 alum of NW-SCC, The nursing program builds the strong foundation that successful nurses need in the healthcare profession. “This outstanding program not only allowed me to graduate with my nursing degree, but opened my mind to the vast opportunities healthcare offers and greatly needs,” stated Barnes. “I have experienced the amazing opportunities of many facets of the healthcare industry all within our community from clinical nursing to hospital administration through the foundation I received from Northwest-Shoals.”

“As a Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Executive Officer at Shoals Hospital, and a Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Services at Helen Keller Hospital, I remained fully aware of the strength of the graduates of the NW-SCC program. I will forever be grateful that the committed, outstanding faculty and strong curriculum allowed me to understand how to meet the diverse needs of patients.”