MDH Offers Clinical Experience for WIU and SRC Nursing Students
Clinical experience is a vital part of nursing education. It allows student nurses to apply what they learn in the classroom to the real world. They gain hands-on experience from working with actual patients and learn how to carry out the responsibilities they will fulfill in their careers. Nursing students at Western Illinois University (WIU) and Spoon River College (SRC) attain a portion of their clinical experience at McDonough District Hospital (MDH).
All nursing programs consist of classroom education and supervised clinical practice in hospitals or other healthcare facilities. Classroom coursework includes nutrition, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, psychology, chemistry, nursing, and other sciences. Nursing students obtain clinical experience in hospital departments such as acute care, surgery, maternity, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Students also gain clinical experience in nursing home facilities, public health departments, home health agencies, and ambulatory clinics.
For WIU nursing students, clinical experience at MDH is new. Western’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program was approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) in December 2007. Western received IBHE and state regulatory approvals for the pre-licensure nursing program in March 2009. In addition to clinical education at MDH, WIU nursing students visited public schools to work with children and completed a 3-week Operating Room (OR) rotation at MDH and in Galesburg.
Lea Monahan, PhD, RN CNE, Professor and Director of the School of Nursing at Western Illinois University, believes this is a great opportunity for students enrolled in the nursing program.
“There are currently 11 pre-licensure students and 13 RN-BSN students enrolled in the nursing program at WIU this semester,” Monahan explained. Students arrive at MDH at 7:00 a.m. every Wednesday to begin clinical education. The total program has approximately 750 clinical practice hours in addition to the hours students spend in the nursing resource labs. This semester the students are at MDH for eight hours on Wednesdays andan additional eight hours in Quincy on Thursdays. During the last two semesters of their program, they will have three 8-hour days per week divided among several health care agencies in Macomb.
When asked about the daily tasks a nursing student must face, Monahan replied, “They perform the usual responsibilities of a Registered Nurse (RN); however, they are supervised at all times by faculty with graduate degrees in nursing.” On a typical day, an RN might treat patients, record patients' medical histories and symptoms, help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, operate medical equipment, or help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation.
WIU students complete many different clinical areas: medical/surgical (three semesters), maternal/newborn, mental health (students are completing this at Blessing Hospital in Quincy this semester), community health, and management (last semester of program).
Spoon River College nursing students have been practicing in clinical education at MDH since the spring of 1972. SRC’s nursing program provides prospective students with several options. Students can choose the two-year (RN) nursing program (Associate Degree in Nursing), the exit-out option after one year Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) Certificate, or current LPNs can enter the second year (RN) as advanced standing students.
There are currently 20 SRC students in their first year of the nursing program and 20 more in their second year in Macomb. Nursing students vary in age range, with some previously working in other fields prior to the nursing program. Students may come into the program with other degrees, usually in health sciences, or career certificates, such as massage therapists.
Some nursing students at SRC go directly into a BSN program, with this option now available at WIU. Enrolling in online programs is also an attractive option because it is convenient for students to work while furthering their education. The majority of SRC students will begin working immediately; they have come into this program for the purpose of education and career preparation.
Cheryl Hoffman, MSN, RN, Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, has been at SRC since 1986 and has witnessed the positive effects that MDH clinical experience provides for students. “There are a variety of patients at MDH. I have been here for 24 years watching the change that has occurred at the hospital and the change that has occurred in health care itself. We adjust our education process to change with the times.” SRC students benefit from the mix of patients at MDH on an entry-level basis. The hospital is also extremely close in proximity to the college, making the journey for students less troublesome. “MDH is very creative for a small hospital in what they provide for nursing students,” Hoffman observed.
Spoon River College nursing students arrive at MDH at 6:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday for clinical education, which lasts about eight hours each day. There are 22 credits worth of clinical experience at MDH. Students must complete 66 credit hours to finish the nursing program, including several general education courses, as well as the nursing courses. The SRC program includes four semesters, resulting with the student earning an Associate Degree in Nursing.
In addition to MDH clinical experience, SRC students spend time in area nursing homes. Forty additional nursing students in the SRC-Canton program practice clinical education at Graham Hospital.
“McDonough District Hospital undeniably places a high value on our relationship with area nursing programs,” explained Wanda Foster, Vice President of Nursing at MDH. “We are pleased to host both WIU and SRC nursing students in a variety of clinical settings.” As for any nursing students, “We certainly hope to instill a commitment to excellence in nursing care and patient safety,” Foster adds.
Nursing students acquire invaluable experience from obtaining clinical education in a hospital setting, including nursing skills, time management, and professional socialization. This knowledge is imperative for a nurse to possess in order to be successful in the medical field. McDonough District Hospital has given Western Illinois University and Spoon River College nursing students the opportunity to experience the daily life of a registered nurse, and therefore, prepare for their own careers in the future.
By Jennifer Batty, Public Relations, student intern
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