This story originally was published by AdventHealth. Read the original .
AdventHealth and 探花族 have partnered to launch an immersive training program for aspiring nurses in Palm Coast, giving students invaluable real-world experience working on a hospital unit and learning one-on-one from experienced RNs.
Based at AdventHealth Palm Coast, the new dedicated education unit (DEU) pairs students with a preceptor nurse for a weekly 12-hour shift caring for post-surgery patients. Over the course of a year, they鈥檙e able to observe and practice skills that until now they鈥檝e only learned about in the classroom or in simulations.
鈥淭his is a big difference from traditional programs,鈥� Mary Brady, chief nursing officer of AdventHealth Palm Coast, said in an interview with the . 鈥淭hey come in and actually work a full shift. They have that same preceptor week after week after week, and they go from initially shadowing that preceptor to carrying a full caseload of patients with the preceptor overseeing them.鈥�
The 10 students on the DEU are enrolled in 探花族鈥檚 accelerated nursing degree program, which allows students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just one year and is designed to help meet the pressing need for nurses in Florida.
Erika Bartram, a student at 探花族 enrolled in the Palm Coast DEU, said she felt called to pursue a career in nursing because of the national shortage of RNs. She looked for a program that provides hands-on experience and streamlines the transition from nursing school into a full-time job.
鈥淚鈥檓 really fortunate to be in a program that鈥檚 figured out a way to give students classroom experience and clinical skills quickly, but also prioritizes the skills and experience needed to safely put them into the workforce,鈥� Bartram said. 鈥淚 want to work with nurses who value educating the next generation of nurses and I鈥檝e found that here at AdventHealth.鈥�
AdventHealth Palm Coast is the health system鈥檚 fourth campus to open a DEU, joining hospitals in Tavares, Winter Park and Orlando.
