by Mireya Hernandez

University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) is collaborating with the College of Nursing (CON) to bring classroom and clinical experiences together for nursing undergraduate students.

The hospital is teaming up with the CON as part of an effort to provide nursing students with cutting-edge training. Former CON Dean Sandra Ferketich developed the model for the program six years ago as a pilot program to combine classroom teaching with student experience in a specialized clinical setting.

Under the model, a CON faculty member, or master teacher, is the teaching liaison for the hospital’s master clinicians, who take primary responsibility for teaching a group of nursing students. The master clinicians are bachelor’s and master’s degree holders who are considered experts in clinical practice in their various areas.

“Being an expert allows the clinician to help students understand the clinical condition of the patient and the nursing care they require," says Sheena Ferguson, director of clinical education at UNMH. “Someone who knows the unit well has a higher level of experience.”

According to Ferguson, UNMH selects the master clinicians for their leadership in clinical expertise and advocacy for patients.

Both partners call the collaboration a win-win situation and say it produces and keeps high quality nurses in New Mexico.

This arrangement continues the CON’s history of working with organizations to teach students in clinical settings. In previous years, the College paid for the services from partner organizations. Because the collaboration has been so successful, the services have been worked into a contract for UNMH to designate a given amount of its workload to the College.

A more solid relationship enables both parties to tailor the curriculum to their needs. The master clinicians give students an insider’s understanding and work with them on choosing patients, developing care plans and providing patient care.

“By selecting a handful of specialized nurses to become master clinicians, UNMH provides a sense of continuity in the program from one semester to the next,” says Jan Martin, clinical coordinator for the College of Nursing. “The clinicians are also able to expand their knowledge of educational needs and become mentors.”

UNMH benefits by preparing future nurses for the needs of its health care enterprise and maintaining a pipeline of qualified nurses to recruit.

“When students have a good learning experience and understand the complexities of patient care and what UNM Hospital has to offer and how we feel about our patients, it’s a place they want to work,” Ferguson says.

Working with the College of Nursing capitalizes on the hospital’s strengths as a medical center and provides opportunities for new professionals in the state, says Judy Spinella, UNMH chief nursing officer. “We are very dedicated to ongoing education for nurses and others at UNMH,” she adds. “We also believe it is a part of our mission as a teaching hospital is to provide good clinical experience to learners.”