ONEONTA — Bassett Healthcare Network’s A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta and Otsego Northern Catskills Board of Cooperative Educational Services (ONC BOCES) recently celebrated the first class of licensed practical nursing students under an educational partnership between the two organizations.
ONC BOCES held an orientation at the hospital for the incoming class on Aug. 28, and classes officially began on Sept. 3. The 10-month program’s inaugural class has 34 students who will undertake classroom study in the areas of nursing fundamentals, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, growth and development, maternity and pediatrics, ethics, and other clinical disciplines.
The class will begin observing and rotating in clinical areas at the hospital, Fox Nursing Home, and across Bassett Healthcare Network as soon as November — gaining firsthand experience to accompany the program’s academic components. Students will also engage in clinical-simulation laboratories to apply practical skills.
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“There is no better place to learn the necessary skills for a career in nursing and become immersed in a clinical environment than in a hospital setting,” Joan R. MacDonald, chief nursing officer and VP of patient-care services and operations at A.O. Fox, contended in a news release. “On behalf of A.O. Fox Hospital and the greater Bassett Healthcare Network, we are ecstatic to welcome our first class of LPN students, who are now an important part of the hospital community, and provide the essential resources, experience, and support to help them pursue rewarding careers in health care.”
Bassett and ONC BOCES announced this past April that A.O. Fox Hospital would serve as the new clinical setting for the program.
“Re-establishing the practical nurse program is more than an educational initiative,” Margaret Kiss, clinical program director at ONC BOCES, said. “It is a vital contribution to our nursing community and embodies our dedication to advancing health care. This program will equip aspiring nurses with the skills and knowledge needed to make a profound impact in our local hospitals, clinics, and beyond.”
Kiss serves as the program’s instructor and coordinates all clinical site rotations.
Bassett is hopeful the program will create a pipeline of nurses for the many open clinical positions it has across its eight-county network. That includes A.O. Fox Hospital and A.O. Fox Nursing Home in Oneonta, A.O. Fox Hospital – Tri-Town Campus in Sidney, Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Little Falls Hospital, O’Connor Hospital in Delhi, Valley Health Services and Valley Residential Services in Herkimer, and a number of community and school-based health centers.
Bassett’s integrated health system provides care and services in a 5,600-square-mile region of upstate New York.
Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES provides educational opportunities and workforce development to individuals in Otsego, Delaware, Schoharie, and Greene counties.
