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SUNY Plattsburgh and Clinton Community College create dual degree nursing program

Nursing Program Memorandum of Understanding
Pat Bradley
/
WAMC
Nursing Program Memorandum of Understanding

A signing ceremony with the leaders of Clinton Community College and SUNY Plattsburgh this morning creates a new integrated dual degree program for nursing.

SUNY Plattsburgh President Alexander Enyedi and Clinton Community College President John Kowal signed the agreement at the community college.

Dr. Kowal said the college’s 2020-2025 strategic plan includes a key goal to maintain and expand partnerships with businesses and educational institutions that diversify options for students.

“We have a thriving partnership with SUNY Plattsburgh and with our health care providers: CVPH, Meadowbrook, and others in the region. And thanks to our partnerships we are providing career opportunities in the most noble of professions: nursing. The agreement will create a creative pathway for students to become nurses and meet a critical need in our area. And also with the new simulation lab at SUNY Plattsburgh and our expanded simulation capacity and our excellent nursing programs and the synergy that we’re going to gain through this partnership and pathway, we are well positioned to meet the need for nurses in this region and beyond.”

SUNY Plattsburgh’s Enyedi explained how the program between the two institutions will work.

“Under the new program, students will begin their coursework at Clinton Community College during the first three years. They’ll meet all the requirements to become a Registered Nurse with an associate degree in applied science in nursing. They will also include classes at SUNY Plattsburgh at the point of admission to streamline the path to the baccalaureate degree after the fourth year. So there’s a simultaneous merging of Cougars and Cardinals! The many benefits of this type of, I’ll say an innovative, program is that as students take classes at SUNY Plattsburgh through a cross-registration programming they won’t pay additional costs for that. And those who want a residential college experience may actually live on our campus residence facilities as they work towards both degrees.”

Dr. Enyedi cited data showing by the year 2030 New York state is projected to have a shortage of nearly 40,000 nurses. The two colleges have simulation programs with robotic patients allowing students to gain hands-on experience.

“They’re able to do all the things that nurses may experience in the field. Some new legislation that’s being introduced in the state Assembly and the state Senate may allow this lab to become even more important to educate North Country students. Under the two bills our nursing programs could provide up to 30 percent of a student’s clinical work in these high-tech simulation environments.”

Two nursing students who have enrolled in the new program attended the signing ceremony. Freshman Ralph Cordeau (cor-doe) says it’s about time the schools worked together.

“I’m excited because this means that we’re going to be getting more and more nurses. My biggest concern right now is helping to see what position I can attain to help with this current shortage. I want us to have that shortage a little bit down by the time I leave nursing. I wanted to go into nursing, learn as much as possible and then make my way into the OR eventually. When I get bored of the OR, I will just retire into a teaching position.”

The residential program pilots with 20 students this fall and both colleges anticipate creating similar programs in other majors.

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