The St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) Education Department provides nursing courses to persons with a Nursing Assistant diploma or a Licensed Practical Nursing diploma who wish to upgrade their nursing career to a higher level.

The Nursing Assistant will be upgraded to a Licensed Practical Nurse.

The Licensed Practical Nurse will be upgraded to a Registered Nurse.

Both courses are accelerated courses.

Accelerated LPN course = 1 ½ years
Accelerated RN course = 2 ½ years

The courses are given under the auspices of the Instituto pa Formashon den Enfermeria (IFE); a nursing school of the Dutch Caribbean. The courses are accredited in the Dutch Caribbean, Netherlands, England and the USA.

To be able to enroll in one of the accelerated courses, one must be employed as a qualified nursing assistant, or Licensed Practical Nurse at the SMMC, White and Yellow Cross, Ambulance Department, Public Health, Mental Health Foundation, Home Health or an institution executing nurse related activities

Persons without a nursing degree or experience will have to enroll in the full−time (4 years) nursing course at the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) in Cayhill, St. Maarten, or follow a nursing course abroad; such as in Aruba, Curacao, St. Kitts, Holland, USA, or any destination of choice.