CHW Opens its Doors to NWCT Community College Senior Nursing Students

Community Health & Wellness Center (CHWC), Torrington, has accepted four Northwestern Connecticut Community College (NCCC) senior nursing students over the course of their final semester, beginning on February 26th.  During the next few months, CHWC will provide clinical experiences for the seniors.  The clinical rotation will enable the students to complete the Nursing Program’s required in-person clinical hours.

While at CHWC, student nurses will assist with the Health Center’s ongoing COVID testing, work with staff nurses, and take part in the COVID vaccination program once the center becomes a designated vaccine site.  “These varied experiences in the community healthcare setting will provide students with a broad overview of the different types of opportunities there are in the nursing profession, beyond the hospital setting,” said Michelle Brady, CHWC’s Director of Nursing who has previously taught nursing at NCCC.  

NCCC’s Nursing Program is part of the Connecticut Community College Nursing Program (CT-CCNP) which is comprised of six Nursing Programs across the community college system.  In 2020, Nursing School’s Almanac designated NCCC as one of the top U.S. Nursing Schools, and in 2019, it was named Best Ranked Nursing Programs by RNCareers.org.
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Jaclyn Vincent, Assistant Professor of Nursing at NCCC, contacted CHWC as a resource for clinical learning.  “As have most things, our students’ clinical experience through COVID was significantly impacted,” she said. “We thought CHWC would be a great alternative opportunity to give our students valuable experience in the setting of a healthcare practice.  It’s a great partnership between the college and CHWC, and we are looking forward to future collaborations with the center.”