Lincoln Memorial Announces Nursing Clinical Partnership

• Lincoln Memorial University has announced a clinical partnership for its nursing students with CHI Saint Joseph Health to create a new facility in proximity to the hospital.
• This clinical partnership hopes to combat the critical shortage of nurses in Kentucky, with 56% of the current nursing staff in the state working for less than one year.
• Recruiters from Lincoln Memorial University have been recruiting prospective students from CHI Saint Joseph Health, which will create career advancement for the hospital’s current staff.

The Kentucky Board of Nurses has recently approved a new clinical partnership between Lincoln Memorial University and CHI Saint Joseph Health. This partnership will add a new campus to LMU’s School of Nursing, where students can gain hands-on clinical experience in the hospital.

The COO and Chief Nurse Executive at CHI Saint Joseph Health, Melissa Bennett, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, “Nursing careers always begin with education, and I am excited that Lincoln Memorial University will be bringing its successful nursing program to central Kentucky.”

Check out our article for a full understanding of Kentucky’s nursing shortage and how this clinical partnership hopes to create more experienced nurses ready to succeed in direct care.

Lincoln Memorial University’s Partnership with CHI Saint Joseph Health

As part of the partnership between Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) and CHI Saint Joseph Health, LMU will be creating a new facility in Lexington, KY, as part of their School of Nursing.

The new facility is being designed from a pre-existing office space across the street from CHI Saint Joseph Health. Along with hands-on experience at the hospital, students will also have access to learning spaces with classrooms, skills laboratories, and simulation rooms.

This partnership should allow students across LMU’s multiple undergraduate and graduate degree pathways to work and gain clinical experience at the new facility.

For undergraduate students, LMU offers an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), an LPN to ASN pathway, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and an RN to BSN pathway. The RN to BSN option also offers an online option for nurses who need added flexibility while working. 

For graduate students, LMU offers three Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees: Family Nurse Practitioner, Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Nursing Administration. There are also two Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees: Doctor of Nursing Practice and DNP Nurse Anesthesia.

In addition to the new Lexington facility, LMU’s School of Nursing has six campuses across Kentucky and Tennessee.

Kentucky’s Nurse Shortage

A study from 2023 found that Kentucky is suffering a “critical shortage” of nurses and other healthcare workers, with a 15% vacancy rate across all non-physician hospital employees.

LPNs, RNs, and Nursing Assistants made up three of the top four vacancy rates at 20.1%, 19.7%, and 16.9%, respectively. The vacancy rate feels even more dire with the understanding that Kentucky Hospitals hired over 4,000 nursing assistants in the past year.

This means that 56% of the nursing assistants working for Kentucky hospitals have been employed for under a year. New hires at this rate do not speak to a growing workforce but rather an alarming turnover rate as experienced nurses continue to leave direct care positions in hospitals.

Giving nursing students access to real clinical experiences during school prepares them for the reality of direct care and helps them succeed after graduation, as they will likely not have many experienced nurses to help them.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Last year, the governor of Kentucky signed House Bill 200 into law, which hopes to address the shortage of healthcare workers. This bill aims to create a scholarship fund for students seeking healthcare careers.

The new Lexington facility also has a specific site coordinator and advisor who can help interested students find financial assistance.

Opens Enrollment for LMU’s Clinical Partnership

Lincoln Memorial University plans to open enrollment for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program starting August 2024. Recruiters from LMU have visited CHI Saint Joseph to recruit nursing staff interested in pursuing an accelerated BSN degree at the new facility. 

This would create a mixture of experienced nursing staff and new nursing students learning and working together during the partnership.

The Bottom Line

The clinical partnership between LMU and CHI Saint Joseph is only one piece of Kentucky’s larger strategy to fix the state’s nursing shortage and prepare nurses to succeed in their careers. If this partnership succeeds, LMU will likely expand to local hospitals around its six campuses, bringing this opportunity to more nursing students across the state. 

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