A grant from JPMorgan Chase to the School of Nursing’s LPN program at Focus: HOPE is designed to support health care workers who aspire to become nurses.

A $130,000 investment from JPMorgan Chase will assist in the education of students in the OU School of Nursing (SON) Continuing Education LPN program at Focus: HOPE in Detroit.

The investment is part of Chase’s $100 million, five-year commitment to Detroit enterprises that further education and training. It will support the program largely designed for health care workers who aren’t yet nurses, but want to be.

“Chase has given a lot of money in the city of Detroit for organizations that they knew would follow through and have the results that they want,” explained Colette O’Connor, SON director of development. The LPN program fits Chase’s goals to serve the community by adding opportunities such as vocational-level training, she added. “They support education significantly and substantially.”

Various enhancements have been made possible with Chase’s investment. These include an on-site computer lab, a medication administration simulation lab with a Pyxus MedStation^® system similar to those found in hospitals and nursing homes, and tutoring or customized academics for students to successfully navigate and complete the program.

“It is all about serving this population and this group of students to help them get ready for and pass the LPN licensure exam,” said O’Connor, who noted that many of the students already are pulling together all the resources they can to attend the program. “This is a great stepping stone once you’re in the health care setting to move on to get your bachelor’s degree.

“Long-term care has a considerable need for LPNs that is not going to go away,” O’Connor continued. “We are definitely ensuring that these students are as well-prepared as they can possibly be to go forth to pass the test.”