Students from Mount Saint Mary College’s Nursing Workforce Diversity Program recently mentored high schoolers enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program at the Newburgh Free Academy (NFA), North Campus.
Through this event, high school students who are thinking about pursuing careers in the health professions are given the opportunity to learn more about the nursing field and the Mount’s School of Nursing.
The CNA program at NFA North allows high school students to receive their license to be a Certified Nursing Assistant upon graduation.
This partnership with NFA North is ongoing. Assistant Director Irene Belen-Jones and Program Coordinator Kaitlin Pevny coordinated and oversaw these meetings with the NWD students.
The recruitment, retention, support, and graduation of nursing students from underrepresented groups are the main objectives of the NWD program. It broadens the scope of nursing education and helps students with limited opportunities become baccalaureate-prepared nurses.
Through a three-year, $1.6 million Nursing Workforce Diversity grant to the Mount's School of Nursing by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the program offers nursing students ample opportunities for community service and support.
The Mount’s service-based approach to academics fits perfectly with professions like nursing. Nursing students at the Mount have access to advanced simulation labs and connections with local hospitals for clinical experience. The dedicated faculty at The Mount is devoted to supporting the success of both undergraduate and graduate students.