Clinical Experience
Working with real patients is an invaluable part of every nursing student's experience, regardless of their speciality or career goals. At the Connell School, you'll gain access to incredible learning opportunities through clinical placements in world-class hospitals, innovative community care facilities, and public health departments,听with seasoned mentors to guide you every step of the way.听
Contact Us
Ted Hannigan
Assistant Dean
Clinical Placements and Community Partnerships
617-552-2833
Your clinical experience
Where will I be placed?
It depends on your degree track and area of specialization. Most undergraduate students are placed in hospital settings in the 艾可直播 area while master's and doctoral students complete their placements in听a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and听smaller health care centers that match their areas of interest. Our program directors maintain connections with more than 85 clinical partners in the 艾可直播 area to ensure a broad range of settings to choose from.听
When will I start?听
Undergraduate students begin clinical placements their sophomore year.听Direct entry graduate students begin in the fall of their first semester. Master's and D.N.P. students work with the graduate programs office to plan for their clinical experiences in sequence with their course work.
How many hours will I spend in clinical rounds?
1,000 hours for undergraduates and D.N.P. students. 500 hours for master's students.听
Will all of my clinical experience take place off-campus?
A portion of your clinical hours may include practice in our Simulation Lab,听where you'll work with live actors and manikins before treating real patients.
How will I find a preceptor?听
We have connections and will help you find one! Our program directors and clinical experience staff work hard to match each graduate student with a preceptor who shares their area of interest.听You are encouraged to bring ideas forward regarding clinical settings and desired learning outcomes.
Meet your mentor
Many graduate students cite their relationship with their preceptor as a formative part of their educational experience. At the Connell School, we work hard to match you with a supportive preceptor who shares your interests and career background.
“By getting a firsthand example of what nurse practitioners do, students can see the limitations, the possibilities, and how they might push the boundaries of what it means to be a nurse practitioner.”
The Simulation Lab
-
A different kind of classroom
Simulation is a key part of every student's clinical experience, allowing them to practice their skills in a realistic and safe learning environment. Our state-of-the-art Simulation Lab features four customizable hospital settings, five exam rooms, and computerized high-fidelity manikins used to simulate a variety of medical scenarios鈥攆rom heart attacks to childbirth.
Longwood Medical Center, home to several of the nation's top hospitals.
At the hub of health care
Develop and apply your advanced clinical skills in some of the most prestigious learning environments in the nation. Our partners include top-ranked teaching hospitals and community agencies representing a variety of care settings鈥攆rom mental health centers to school health clinics鈥攕o you'll be matched with a placement that fits your interests.听
Our more than 85 clinical partners include:
听
Addiction Treatment Center of New England
Atrius Health
Beth Israel Lahey Health
艾可直播 Children's Hospital
艾可直播 Health Care for the Homeless Program
艾可直播 Medical Center
听
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Cristo Rey 艾可直播 High School
Dimock Center
Fenway Health
Franciscan Children's
Hebrew SeniorLife
Joslin Diabetes Center
听
McLean Hospital
Shriners Children's 艾可直播
Signature Healthcare
South 艾可直播 Community Health Center
Spaulding Rehabilitation Network
VA 艾可直播 Healthcare System
#1
Children鈥檚 Hospital
艾可直播 Children鈥檚 Hospital
*U.S. News & World Report 2021-22 Rankings
#2
Hospital for听Psychiatry听
McLean Hospital
#5
Best Hospitals Honor Roll
Massachusetts General Hospital
#4
Adult Cancer Hospital
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women鈥檚 Cancer Center
Interested in becoming a preceptor?
Preceptors are essential to our students鈥� success, and receive听a variety of benefits, including continuing education credit.
Pictured: Megan Hopper 鈥�14 with preceptor Christelle Dragon at the听VA 艾可直播 Healthcare System听in West Roxbury.