Concord Hospital Welcomes First Cohort of Nursing Students from New England College
Students will receive immersive clinical training as part of an accelerated degree
New England College nursing students at a welcome reception.
Concord Hospital and New England College (NEC) held a special reception to welcome the first cohort of students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The accelerated program combines classroom instruction with nine months of clinical training. The group of 26 students will receive on-the-job training working as licensed nursing assistants (LNA) and learning with a preceptor in the nursing student role throughout all clinical settings in the Concord Hospital health system.
“We are pleased to welcome our first cohort of students from New England College to Concord Hospital where they will begin the first phase of their clinical training,” commented Erin Collins, RN – vice president of nursing professional practice and development at Concord Hospital. “The students will be earning as they are learning. Their work hours will contribute to their undergraduate studies and support their introduction to nursing practice and provide practical on-the-job experience.”
The students will begin their first 14-week rotation working alongside a licensed registered nurse preceptor over the summer. The group will rotate between the classroom and the hospital, enabling them to apply their learning, advance skills and complete their degree in three years instead of four. As employees of Concord Hospital, the students will gain a better understanding of the hospital’s policies and procedures, have the opportunity to work in different departments, as well as obtain a better understanding of the nursing profession.
Dr. Angela McPhee-Smith, DNP, RN – dean of nursing and health professions and associate professor of nursing at NEC added, “We are grateful for the partnership with Concord Hospital in our innovative, three-year cooperative education model. Through our collaboration, we will help ease some of the hurdles with getting students into nursing programs and out into a clinical setting more efficiently.”
The partnership between Concord Hospital and NEC in this novel program is a win-win for both organizations. The students will provide Concord Hospital with a year-round LNA workforce, decreasing staffing gaps during their clinical training. Students will also gain valuable clinical experience at the hospital and will be eligible for full-time employment opportunities upon completion of the BSN program.
During the event, Melissa Robb, BSN, RN who has been training students and new nurses for 13 years, spoke about the opportunity to mentor NEC nursing students “I take pride in providing positive precepting experiences to lay a strong foundation that can withstand even the strongest weather to which I would compare acute care nursing.”
Concord Hospital’s nationally accredited not-for-profit health system is proud to offer a comprehensive clinical experience for this partnership, which provides a seamless collaboration between both academic and professional realms.
