During The University of Alabama’s spring semester, nursing students from UA’s Capstone College of Nursing had the opportunity to enhance their education through hands-on clinical experience at University Medical Center, which is operated by the College of Community Health Sciences.
Starting in January, 133 nursing students began clinical rotations in UMC’s family medicine and pediatric clinics. Working alongside UMC’s nursing staff and under the supervision of clinical instructors, students gained patient care skills and valuable insight into day-to-day clinical operations.
Clinical rotations are a critical component of nursing education, offering students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in real-world health-care settings while developing confidence and competence in patient management.
Dr. Robbin Young, chief nursing officer at UMC, emphasized the vital role nurses play in health care by sharing a quote from Dr. William Osler, a Canadian physician and founder of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.: “The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.”
Young said the quote emphasizes the importance of preparing future nurses through clinical experiences.