Report to the Community - Samuel Merritt University

ePort to the community 2010 — 2011
plan and organize care,” explains dr. foster. “we find that
this is a valuable way to prepare students to take better
advantage of real patient interactions, as their skill set is
much greater and more sophisticated.”
in the school
of nursing
students are
placed in clinical
settings within
the first year of
enrollment. this
provides students
with early handson
experience to practice the skills learned in class, lab
or through simulation. the clinical experience for nursing
students may occur on any day of the week and any shift.
undergraduate students are placed in acute care and
community settings in groups of 8 to 10 students. they
are accompanied by a clinical instructor who guides the
learning process.
“smu students
become familiar
with the role of the
nurse in both acute
and community
care settings.”
“students become familiar with the
role of the nurse in both acute and
community care settings,” explains
nancy haugen, phd, rn, assistant
professor and chair of the accelerated
bachelor of science in nursing. “this
allows them to become familiar with the nursing routines
in both areas, and allows them to better understand the
continuum of care.” graduate students in nursing are
placed in a wide variety of settings, including hospital
operating rooms for the nurse anesthetists, community
care centers, clinics and numerous other venues which
offer routine care and wellness options.
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