In the spring of 2001, Baptist capitalized on an opportunity to partner with a local community college, Miami Dade College (MDC), by helping them to manage a long waiting list for entrance of candidates into their generic program. MDC faced the same challenges as many educational facilities across the nation, limited classroom space, too few faculty and inadequate funding to meet these needs through their own campus resources.

This initial partnership became the model for other future partnerships within the community for advanced nursing education (BSN and MSN), and demonstrated the presence of a strong outreach program between the community and our hospital. The on-site program provided classroom space on our own hospital campus, adjunct faculty and funding, thereby allowing an additional 90 students annually to enter the program. These students received full scholarships and stipends while they attended the MDC nursing program on the Baptist Hospital campus; completed their clinical rotations at a Baptist facility, and received faculty support from incumbent employees. Once they completed their program, these nurses were given preferential employment opportunities.

A motivating factor for the development of a hospital-based program was the recognition that in the changing health care climate, novice nurses, at the completion of their educational preparation, often lack hands-on skills, confidence and critical thinking abilities. To fill the gap, the hospital must provide nurse orientation and transitional programs.

Even at the end of a generous transitional process, we experienced the challenge of providing extended support to novice staff that was not prepared for practice. Our partnership with MDC served to evaluate the effect of providing a nurturing and supportive environment while students engage in their beginning generic studies. Additionally, students became acculturated and socialized to nursing earlier in their development.

To realize our professional development objectives, the organization supports the further growth of the on-site program by funding several positions, including a Program Director. This role serves as a liaison between the hospital and the college, as well as an advocate for the students. The director, located on the hospital campus, is immediately available to students and assures the effective coordination of the program on a daily basis.

In addition to providing compensatory funding for our experienced staff, who serves as adjunct faculty, two full time hospital-based teaching positions have also been funded. The adjunct faculty positions are opportunities for our finest nurses to share their wealth of knowledge, and serve as role models to future nurses. In addition, the members of the adjunct faculty are able to better incorporate teaching in all aspects of their practice. This concept of nurses as teachers is also an important value of our professional nurse advancement process.

Although partnering with local colleges to support nursing education is not a new concept, the On-Site Nurse Scholars Program demonstrates dedication to provision of a direct relationship within a strong professional nursing practice environment. Based on solicited student feedback, we continuously enhance the program. For example, we now include opportunities for students to gain additional clinical experience with one of our Magnet nurses. We also added the experience of scholar nurse partner to provide the student eight additional hours per week of paid clinical time, where they actively learn the nursing role in a one-on-one mentorship.

Many of our scholars work in patient care assistant positions to supplement their income while they attend the program. However, in the scholar nurse partner role, student experiences are very different from that of a patient care assistant. They are able to shadow the nurse as he or she performs all activities. As students become experienced in various techniques, they are able to perform in the clinical area many of these skills under the nurse’s direct supervision. Although licensed activities like medication administration are strictly excluded (as defined by the state’s Nurse Practice Act), they assist the nurse in all of their capacities, thereby achieving a ‘virtual’ experience when not permitted to directly perform.

As we tested this role with our senior students over the last two semesters, we received tremendous positive feedback as to the value of this additional time on building their confidence and enthusiasm about beginning their professional practice. The pass rate on NCLEX for the graduates in these classes as compared to the general community college population increased as a direct benefit of this strategy. Additionally, in less than three years, the number of novice nurses hired per year increased from approximately 80 nurses in 2000 to 136 nurses in 2003.