Kim Shackleford to head TRCC nursing program, health and human services division

Kim Shackleford

"To be a successful nurse and enjoy your career, you have to want to help people," said Shackleford, who recently was promoted to TRCC's Division Chair of Health and Human Services and Director of Nursing Education.

However after graduating from the LPN program at Kennett Career and Technical Center and earning an associate degree in nursing from Arkansas Northeastern College, Shackleford realized that, for her, the path to helping people lay in nursing education.

"I loved nursing, but I found I wanted to be on the education side," Shackleford said.

Shackleford said she was inspired by the many great registered nurses she worked with as a nursing student.

"I wanted to be part of helping students become the best nurses they can be," she said. "I wanted to influence them while they were in nursing school and help prepare them to be great nurses."

Shackleford went on to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University and a master's degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix. She is now pursuing a doctorate degree in educational leadership with a specialization in curriculum and instruction.

She was hired as an instructor in TRCC's nursing program in 2001. In 2004, she left to be director of the emergency room at a hospital in Kennett, which is near her hometown of Hornersville.

"After about a year, there was another opening at Three Rivers and I jumped at the opportunity to return to the classroom," Shackleford said.

In August 2005, she was promoted to Coordinator of Nursing and Allied Health. In October 2008, Catherine Wampler, who had headed the college nursing department and the Health and Human Services division for 19 years, left to take a job at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.

Shackleford was selected to take Wampler's place.

"This is the job I have dreamed of; it just came sooner than I anticipated," said Shackleford. She is in charge of the nursing education program and oversees the Health and Human Services Division, which includes Three Rivers' programs in nursing, medical laboratory technology, emergency medical services, surgical technology, early childhood education, physical education and criminal justice.

Shackleford said the doctorate degree on which she is working should help in her new job. It focuses on developing curriculum (the information taught in a course), improving instruction (how that information is conveyed to students) and evaluating courses, instruction and programs.

"Because of Cathy (Wampler)'s leadership, this is a strong program," Shackleford said. "My challenge will be to keep the program moving forward."

One of Shackleford's goals for the TRCC nursing program is to hire adjunct (part-time) clinical instructors to improve clinical experiences by decreasing the faculty-to-student ratio.

Another goal is to expand the number of seats in the nursing program to increase enrollment.

At this time there are 30 seats in the on-campus day nursing program, 30 in the on-campus evening nursing program and 26 seats in the LPN to RN bridge program at the TRCC Center in Sikeston. All of these programs prepare nurses to apply for licensure by examination as a registered nurse.

"We usually have 100 to 120 applications for each of the nursing programs and 50 to 55 for the LPN to RN bridge program, Shackleford said. An expanded program at TRCC would help fill the high demand for registered nurses and accommodate the large number of qualified students who apply for TRCC's nursing program.

In southeastern Missouri, entry level salaries for registered nurses average almost $40,000 per year, well above this area's annual per capita income of $24,000. In addition, most jobs for registered nurses come with excellent benefits and many opportunities for advancement. Registered nurses are in demand so most TRCC nursing students have jobs offers before they graduate.

Not only is this good for these students and their families, it also benefits the area. Economic impact studies show that higher earnings of TRCC alumni contribute to a more robust area economy, as well as higher tax revenues for local governments.

"The higher salaries do make nursing a more attractive career, but to be successful at nursing you have to want more than a good salary," Shackleford said. "You have to love caring for people. Many of the most successful students pursue nursing because they have been influenced by a personal experience with a nurse. They may have been sick themselves or had a family member who was ill, and they witnessed how much difference a great nurse can make."

It is now Shackleford's job to oversee the program that makes these students great nurses. It's a job that is extremely demanding.

"I wear so many hats," she said. "It helps to have a supportive husband and great kids."

She is talking of her husband, Alan, and their 8-year-old twin boys.

"They know this is what I want and this is what they want for me," Shackleford said.