BSN Program Experiential Learning

Aligned with the college’s academic and clinical experiences, the undergraduate co-op program places students at the center of learning by offering personal and professional growth opportunities through one-on-one mentoring from experienced nurses in various clinical settings. Co-op students are paid to participate in a minimum of 600 total hours of preceptor-guided experiences in clinical placements and are able to develop skills, assess culture and fit and learn how to navigate different hospital units. The development of competencies is assured by their clinical preceptors, who are responsible for supervising each student’s performance of nursing tasks. Along with the real-world, hands-on experience gained in the program, students participate in various committees and projects at their respective placement hospitals, introducing them to other important roles nurses hold within health care systems.

The ability to observe diverse experiences in a range of settings and unit cultures increases co-op students’ awareness of potential roles of the professional nurse and the range of interdisciplinary activities in today’s health care environment. Students experience working or observing nurses in areas such as general medical/surgical care units, intensive care units, post-anesthesia care units, operating rooms, cardiac catheterization labs, radiology, neonatal intensive care units, obstetrical units and emergency departments. Many participating students are also given the opportunity to act as a charge nurse under the supervision of their preceptor and the faculty director, as well as in the outpatient setting at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, to appreciate the process of continuity of care.

Our nursing co-op program enhances student skills in areas such as:

• Critical thinking
• Physical assessments
• Clinical decision-making
• Prioritization and time management
• Communication with patients, families and interdisciplinary heath care teams
• Delegation and supervision of team members

The co-op program does not extend the traditional four-year degree timeline. Students apply in January of their third year and serve in the program from June through graduation.

Dedicated Education Units (DEUs) are an innovative way to clinically prepare nursing students that focus on peer-teaching, education collaboration and improved clinical outcomes for students. Nursing students who are part of the DEU program are assigned to single-care teaching medical-surgical units at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center or Cincinnati VA Medical Center and work side-by-side with nursing staff and clinical faculty. This one-on-one experience with a staff nurse for entire shifts provides students with additional perspectives on patient-load organization, handling, and reporting, and allows them to perform tasks side-by-side with their precepting staff nurse.

Our DEU program enhances student skills in areas such as:

• Critical thinking
• Physical assessments
• Clinical decision-making
  
• Prioritization and time management
• Communication with patients, families and interdisciplinary heath care teams
• Delegation and supervision of team members
• Development of deeper clinical judgement

The DEU program does not extend the traditional four-year degree timeline. Student can apply for the program during their fundamentals, care of the adult and mental health courses.

The college offers students opportunities to study abroad in various locations. Designed to develop responsible citizens of the world, participants earn course credits while enhancing their cultural competency and challenging their understanding of global health issues and disparities.

In recent years, students have traveled to destinations in Ecuador, India, the United Kingdom, Thailand and Tanzania. Partial scholarships for participants are available through UC International.