RCCD creates new programs in response to global plea for more medical professionals

Imagine studying medicine at a time when the world experiences a medical event of historic proportions.

This was the reality for students at the Riverside City College (RCC) School of Nursing who pressed on and continued to positively impact their community, mirroring the fast-paced field they hope to enter. Peggy Lomas, public affairs officer for the college, said their four nursing programs continued to operate throughout the year and no courses were cut.

“The pandemic has not stopped our students and the nursing programs from operating and making significant contributions to the city and our communities,” she said. “We are extremely proud of our nursing students and faculty for their contributions, professionalism and commitment to providing healthcare in our community.”

Lomas added that RCC has also added two certificate programs in the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program, Acute Care and Home Healthcare, as well as a fully-online Certified Nursing Assistant certificate program. These join the long-established Vocational Nursing and Registered Nursing programs, which were started in the 1950s.

Students have been administering the COVID-19 vaccine at RCCD and at local vaccination clinics. Some volunteer at the student-run Riverside Free Clinic every week and in local homeless shelters alongside their Moreno Valley College EMT and University of California, Riverside School of Medicine peers.