During the last academic year, the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences clinics at the Lane Center for Academic Health Sciences provided 5,558 clinical hours and internship experience for UCCS students.
Graduate and undergraduate students in Johnson Beth-El academic programs (nursing, health sciences, human physiology and nutrition) and students from across the UCCS campus benefit from the skills they gain from the clinicians and staff at these community clinics.
“The Johnson Beth-El clinics provide learning laboratory experiences for UCCS students that are unavailable in other settings or educational programs in the community,” shared Jeff Spicher, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs. “From our time in the classroom and laboratories to working side-by-side in the clinics, students expand and develop their skills with their faculty, mentors, and clinicians.”
Paige Whitney, Director of the Center for Active Living (CAL), works directly with students to engage them in CAL’s programming and projects, hosting a total of 2,840 clinical hours and internships last academic year. Students working with CAL staff and clients engage in health promotion and education in programs such as disease management and workplace wellness.
Through the clinical learning experiences with CAL, students gain real-word experience and take a deeper dive into their healthcare areas of focus. Opportunities include diabetes prevention programming, fitness programs for multiple sclerosis (“MS Moves”) and Parkinson’s (“PWR! Moves”), and workplace wellness programming for the City of Colorado Springs and Ent employees.
“Being a part of the PWR! Moves and Move MS classes have been great experiences,” said one student, “especially as I plan to attend physical therapy school in the future. I may be working with similar patients, so it’s a great opportunity for me to get a head start.”
Students also work with faculty mentors throughout their internship as they gain their needed clinical hours. Mentors help students feel better prepared and more confident in their skills, support student research projects and help build students’ professional networks.
“I found it extremely beneficial and comforting to have a mentor that I could depend on, so I didn’t feel stressed or overwhelmed during the experience and subsequently got the best learning experience,” shared another student.
Johnson Beth-El graduate nursing students can also work with the Primary Care Clinic and City Employee Medical Clinic for clinical hours. In fact, graduate nursing students provide more than 3,500 patient visits annually for primary care services for Colorado Springs residents and city employees.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students work with the Primary Care Clinic and the Nurse Family Partnership to earn their clinical hours. Students at the Primary Care Clinic work with providers to gain critical experiences in primary care, mental health, care for LGBTQ+ patients and women’s health services. Nursing students working with the Nurse Family Partnership team perform in-home visits for first-time parents, covering topics including prenatal education, nutrition, mental health, breastfeeding, postpartum and child safety, health and development.
Through these clinical learning experiences, students gain real-word experience and take a deeper dive into their healthcare areas of focus, preparing them for a future of making a difference in the field of healthcare.
About the Johnson Beth-El Clinics at the Lane Center
The Johnson Beth-El clinics at the Lane Center have been serving the Colorado Springs community since 2014. The mission of these clinics is to provide excellent clinical learning experiences for UCCS students, provide healthcare services to the community, sites for faculty practice, research opportunities for students and faculty, and test new models to improve health care. Johnson Beth-El has also maintained a 15-year contract with the City of Colorado Springs to provide primary care services to City employees via the City Employee Medical Clinic. Learn more at healthcircle.uccs.edu.