Health career opportunities are abundant, and the rewards are significant. For prospective nurses, there’s never been a better time to enroll in Pitt Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing program. PCC nursing students train under experienced instructors in state-of-the-art facilities outfitted with the same equipment found in hospitals. A 10-bed simulation hospital allows Pitt to provide students valuable opportunities for experiential learning.

“PCC is dedicated to developing skilled nurses, and the best way to do that is to ensure students participate in hands-on training that simulates the real-life situations they’ll encounter,” said PCC Nursing Director Tavondia Burdett. “Our simulation hospital features a control room that allows faculty to observe and record students’ interactions with highly-advanced human patient simulators. They can then review those interactions with students to help them fine-tune their skills.”

Burdett says Pitt’s nursing curriculum combines lectures, skills labs, simulations, and clinical work experiences over five “rigorous” semesters. “I encourage new nursing students to establish sound study habits,” Burdett says. “Those who do, and are willing to put in the work, develop the proficiency and confidence needed to provide high-level care in reallife situations, and opportunities for gainful employment await them.”

ECU Health Medical Center President Brian Floyd says it’s no secret hospitals and health systems are in need of qualified nurses, particularly in rural areas with disproportionate rates of chronic diseases. “At ECU Health, we are committed to partnerships with community colleges, which are instrumental in helping educate and develop the current and future generation of nurses serving communities across eastern North Carolina,” Floyd said.