PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College has hired a new nursing faculty following the abrupt retirement of three of its instructors and one faculty member’s resignation.
Motives for the departures, which took effect following the college’s spring graduation June 20, were not immediately clear.
The former instructors did not answer Peninsula Daily News’ requests for explanation, and the college said their letters of retirement or resignation stated no reasons.
Kathy Craven, former director of the program, and instructors Bonnie Rathod and Cheryl McCurdy retired, said college spokeswoman Kari Desser. Instructor Bonnie Bulach resigned.
Craven was a 2013 recipient of a John and Suanne Rouche Excellence Award for leadership from the Arizona-based League for Innovation in the Community College.
Desser said the transition would not affect the nursing program’s accreditation. The program is admitting a new class for the fall term.
Barbara Nubile, who will retire July 31 as director of nursing and associate dean for health sciences at Montgomery College in Rockville, Md., will serve as interim director of the Peninsula College nursing program.
Montgomery College, which has three campuses in the Washington, D.C., area, serves more than 60,000 credit and noncredit students. Under Nubile’s leadership it recently received more than $4 million from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to create two new nursing education programs.
Nubile earned an associate degree in nursing from Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho; a bachelor of science degree from Idaho State University, Pocatello; a bachelor of science in sociology from Boise State University, Boise; and a master of science of nursing degree from the University of California, San Francisco.
She received an Outstanding Mentoring Award at the Maryland Nurses Association 2014 convention.
A Montgomery College announcement of her retirement June 30 said she and her husband planned to travel and spend extended periods overseas after moving to Washington state.
Although it gave no explanation for the faculty departures, a Peninsula College statement said the instructors had 64 years of combined experience.
“Prior to their departure, the nursing faculty provided transitional support to the college and assisted with the hiring of new faculty who will begin teaching fall quarter,” the statement said.
It continued:
“The nursing program is a vital part of PC’s campus community and an active entity in the community at large.
“They offer health screenings to students and members of the public, sponsor and promote wellness events, and have formed strong partnerships with local medical providers.
“For the past three years, PC nursing students have experienced 100 percent pass rates on [National Council Licensure Examinations] and 100 percent employment rates.”
Seventeen nursing students graduated from Peninsula College last month; 23 have been accepted for the fall quarter that starts Sept. 24; and 18 second-year students are continuing the program, Desser said.
Across the North Olympic Peninsula, Peninsula College nursing graduates are hired by many medical facilities, including Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles.
A spokeswoman for OMC said it would be premature to comment on any effect the change in nursing program personnel might have on the medical center.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
