May 12, 2026
Gainesville, Ga—According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, “the estimated number of Nurses needed to meet the U.S. demand by 2030 is roughly 20%.” That is nearly a one in five shortfall in the nursing workforce, and because of this extreme shortage of Nurses in the U.S. and the State of Georgia, Lanier Technical College, a Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) has spent the previous academic year focusing on closing the skills gap in the Nursing profession.
Lanier Technical College offers three accredited nursing programs designed to prepare students for different roles in the healthcare field.
The first of three, the Nurse Aide program, provides short-term training for entry-level Nurse Aid positions, equipping students with the basic skills needed to assist patients with daily activities and qualify for State Certification as a Nurse Aide (NA).
Growing demand for the NA program since 2020 had far surpassed the college’s available capacity. Knowing this, Lanier Tech was able to expand its Hall County Dual Enrollment NA offerings in 2025 thanks to a one-million plus dollar donation from The Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation, Inc. who are known for championing education in Hall County, Georgia. Now, Lanier Technical College can support a full-time NA Instructor to serve the Ivester Early College and Ivester Early College North cohorts.
The second of three, the Licensed Practical Nursing program, is a certificate-level pathway that trains students to become Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Its focus is with hands-on patient care and preparing graduates to take the NCLEX-PN licensure exam.
Lastly, the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program is a more advanced, two-year degree that prepares students to become registered nurses (RNs), emphasizing critical thinking, clinical skills, and eligibility for the NCLEX-RN exam. This program originally held only at the Forsyth County campus started its first cohort in Fall of 2019.
Since 2019, The ASN program has graduated seven cohorts of qualified RNs. The demand for the newest Allied Health program, ASN, was so great the college opened a second cohort for the program that is housed at the Hall County campus. As of Spring 2026, the ASN program as a whole, can graduate up to 60 students per academic year.
In July of 2025, Governor, Brian Kemp, announced HB 192 the “Top State for Talent Act”. This agreement allows graduates of TCSG’s Associate of Science in Nursing Program to seamlessly transfer course credits over to University System of Georgia (USG) schools to one day earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree.
Lanier Tech ASN students now have a clear path to either enter the workforce as an RN or to continue their education towards a BSN. This articulation agreement has tremendously grown the pipeline of qualified nurses that are now graduating Lanier Tech with bountiful options.
“The expansion of Lanier Technical College’s ASN program to the Hall Campus is an important step in tackling the nursing shortage across Northeast Georgia. By opening up more seats and offering a second location, the college can train more students to become registered nurses each year. It also makes the program more accessible for local residents, many of whom go on to work in the same communities where they trained. The result is a stronger, more sustainable healthcare workforce for the area,” said ASN Program Director, Leanna Valentine, regarding her program’s expansion.
“These strategic expansions of Lanier Tech’s Nursing program offerings have already made a monumental difference in the communities we serve. The recent ASN to BSN Articulation Agreement with Brenau University is another example of how we as a college are working with other institutions to expand and drive the talent pipeline for qualified nursing professionals. Our healthcare partners have been great allies of ours as we continue to look for innovative ways to close the skills gap and fulfill Georgia’s Nursing shortage,” said Lanier Tech President, Tim McDonald.
These crucial steps that have been taken to expand Lanier Tech’s nursing program offerings are just one of many instances where Lanier Tech and TCSG are rising to the occasion to alleviate the state’s nursing shortage.
About the Technical College System of Georgia
The 22 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) are Georgia’s top resource for skilled workers. TCSG offers world-class training in more than 600 associate degree, diploma, and certificate programs to students who are trained on state-of-the-art equipment by instructors who are experts in their fields. The system also houses Georgia’s Office of Adult Education, which promotes and provides adult literacy and education programs, including the GED® testing program, throughout the state. In addition, TCSG partners with companies through Quick Start, the nation’s top customized workforce training program, and through its colleges, which work with local industry to provide workforce and training solutions. For more information, visit TCSG.edu.
