To address the clinical nursing instructor shortage, nursing schools and healthcare facilities in southern Colorado formed a coalition to develop and offer semi-annual Clinical Nurse Scholar training for southern Colorado. Representatives from 15 different healthcare organizations, non-profits, community colleges and universities participated in the development and planning of this training program. 

The primary goal of the program is to prepare highly qualified clinical nurses to be highly qualified clinical instructors. These clinical nurse scholars work in a collaborative role between the nursing schools and the healthcare facilities to train student nurses and new nurse hires. The benefits of this program include higher quality and more consistent training of students, better prepared nurses for the workforce, higher job satisfaction for clinical instructors, better integration of students into the healthcare institution, reduced orientation time for new hires, increased professionalism amongst the nursing staff, better retention of nurses in the region and, most importantly, improved quality of patient care. 

The three day program accepts nurses interested in teaching and/or precept nursing students in the clinical setting. The program is highly interactive and uses best practices in educational theory and adult learning. Participants in the program will increase their level of confidence and competence in providing clinical instruction to nursing students who precept at their health care facility. 

The Southern Colorado Clinical Scholars Coalition is comprised of Adams State College, Colorado Mental Health Institute- Pueblo, Colorado State University- Pueblo, Conejos County Hospital, Lamar Community College, Otero Junior College, Parkview Medical Center, Pueblo Community College, Rio Grande Hospital, St. Mary Corwin Medical Center, San Luis Valley Area Health Education Center, San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center, Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center, Southeast Colorado Area Health Education Center and Trinidad State Junior College.

For more information on the program please contact Charlotte Ledonne RN, BSN, MA, SLV AHEC at 719-589-4977