The innovation and flexibility of the NEC program creates opportunities previously not available in this area, especially for current employees who plan to continue working full time during their program.
Cheshire’s Chief Nursing Officer Anne E. Tyrol, MHA, MSNCheshire Medical Center, a member of Dartmouth Health, announces a new affiliation with New England College (NEC) in Henniker, NH, which promises to create a pipeline for new nurses by giving students valuable experience and college credits toward their nursing degree while filling hospital staffing needs for licensed nursing assistants (LNAs).
“I am thrilled to be working with NEC administrators, faculty and students to grow the healthcare workforce while developing nurses who will serve our community for years to come,” said Cheshire’s Chief Nursing Officer Anne E. Tyrol, MHA, MSN. “The innovation and flexibility of the NEC program creates opportunities previously not available in this area, especially for current employees who plan to continue working full time during their program. Our Cheshire nursing team is very excited to welcome our first cohort of students in 2024.”
This fall, up to 12 students will be selected to be the first group to receive their cooperative clinical experience at Cheshire. They will begin their clinical training and paid employment in the summer of 2024.
“Cheshire’s new affiliation with NEC is an innovative model that pairs core nursing education with on-the-job learning and employment throughout the program,” said Carolyn Isabelle, director of workforce development at Dartmouth Health. “Dartmouth Health has a commitment to nursing education across the health system, supporting both those starting out in the field and those who want to develop their skills over time.”
Students enrolled in NEC’s three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program are paired with an employer to complete their 14-week cooperative clinical experience each year, in addition to their coursework. During their clinical experience, students will earn credits toward their degree while they work as LNAs and earn a salary from Cheshire.
“NEC is excited to team up with Dartmouth Health and Cheshire Medical Center,” said Angie McPhee-Smith, DPN, RN, dean of NEC’s Division of Nursing and Health Professions. “Our innovative nursing education model was built considering two major goals: to mitigate healthcare workforce challenges now and into the future and to prepare and graduate well-rounded new nurses prepared for the realities of 21st-century healthcare. Through academic-practice collaborations like ours, students gain an authentic clinical nursing perspective through clinical immersion experiences. Together, we will cultivate an exceptional nursing workforce for the New Hampshire communities we serve.”
Nurses make up a significant portion of a hospital’s healthcare workforce, but staffing shortages nationwide have made it difficult to fill key vacancies. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the nursing workforce will grow by only 6% over the next decade, which is insufficient to fill an estimated 203,200 openings for RNs each year between 2021 and 2031. Dartmouth Health has established key relationships with educational institutions such as its longstanding partnership with Colby-Sawyer College in New London, and the new affiliation with NEC, to make professional development opportunities available to current employees and to establish a pipeline for new healthcare workers. Dartmouth Health’s Workforce Readiness Institute (WRI), a licensed career school, also offers earn-while-you-learn opportunities for nursing and medical assistants, ophthalmic assistants, phlebotomists, pharmacy technicians and surgical technologists. Trainees earn wages and benefits while they work, and graduates transition to full-time roles in the Dartmouth Health system.
About Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) advances the health and wellness of individuals across New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region through outstanding care and exceptional service. Cheshire teams deliver an impressive range of clinical services that support the community's needs. As a member of Dartmouth Health, Cheshire is able to provide services far exceeding those of a typical rural hospital, including extensive programs in primary care, cancer care, cardiology, orthopaedics, and public health. Cheshire patients are also able to access hundreds of highly trained specialists and a depth of clinical and technical resources through its collaboration with Dartmouth Health. Cheshire’s clinical practice is distinguished by an exceptional staff, a strong commitment to safety and quality, and a culture that values the contribution of every staff member and volunteer. Cheshire is the area's largest healthcare provider and leading employer. Along with the services delivered on their Keene campus and satellite locations, the Medical Center partners with local organizations to provide vital services and programs throughout the region. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit cheshiremed.org.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.