Mercy College of Health Sciences forms new clinical training initiative with MercyOne

Mercy College of Health Sciences has partnered with a medical center that was also created by the Sisters of Mercy to develop a new method of providing clinical training to nursing students.

The Des Moines private college stated in a news release that it will collaborate with MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center to launch a new framework for clinical education this fall for students pursuing their bachelor’s degree in nursing. The program is called a “Dedicated Education Unit.”

“This partnership represents a significant step forward in how we prepare nurses for the realities of practice,” said Vincent Salyers, dean of the Joyce E. Lillis School of Nursing at Mercy College, in the release. “The Dedicated Education Unit model allows our students to build genuine competence and confidence within a real care team, not just rotate through it. That difference matters, both for the students and for the patients they will one day serve.”

According to the release, this education unit will have nursing students remain at MercyOne for the majority of their clinical training, rather than rotating between different systems each semester. MercyOne nurses will act as “unit-base clinical instructors,” the release stated, with nursing faculty from Mercy College serving as partners with the nurses and evaluators for students.

By keeping students’ clinical environment consistent, the release stated they will have stronger professional connections, as well as develop better clinical judgment and deeper clinical knowledge. The partnership will also create a workforce pipeline for MercyOne.

Both the college and medical center were founded by the Sisters of Mercy in the 1890s, Mercy College states online, within six years of one another, and are located within walking distance of one another in Des Moines.

“MercyOne is proud to partner with Mercy College to shape the next generation of Iowa’s nursing professionals,” said Chris Courtney, chief nursing officer at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, in the release. “The DEU model aligns directly with our commitment to clinical excellence and to building a strong, sustainable nursing workforce. Students who learn with us in this model will be situated for success from day one.”