Sentara Graduates First Distance Learning Nursing Students 

Graduates of the first Distance Learning registered nursing class are pictured at the graduation ceremony. Front Row (L-R): Danielle Ferguson, Taylor Sullivan, Sonia Pritchett, Christan Mitchell, Gabrielle Spencer; Back Row (L-R): Anjali Desai, Nancy Rosenthal, Tristan Rodgers, Valerie Wallace. Not pictured Amy Fitzgerald

Nearly two years after launching its Distance Learning program for nursing students, the Sentara College of Health Sciences graduated its first distance learning registered nursing class of 10 students in June.

In the fall of 2007, the college began offering its program on the Peninsula via a distance learning site at the Old Dominion University Peninsula Higher Education Center in Hampton, Va. The classroom component of the RN program was broadcast live from the Sentara College of Health Sciences. Students at ODU's Peninsula Higher Education Center had the ability to interact real-time with Sentara instructors and students at the college's flagship location in the Greenbrier section of Chesapeake, Va.

Smaller class size and proximity were some of the benefits that appealed to distance learning students Sonia Pritchett and Anjali Desai, both Peninsula residents, and Valerie Wallace from north Suffolk.

“I was able to work after class, pick my kids up from school, or get to any appointments I needed to make,” says Pritchett. “I was also able to get straight to my homework without losing time in traffic.”

These students also felt very supported by the faculty and staff.

Pictured left to right: Anjali Desai, Sonia Pritchett, and Valerie Wallace

“It was apparent that Sentara invested a lot of time and energy into making the Distance Learning program successful,” says Desai. “Everyone from Student Services to faculty to the college counselor was very willing and ready to support us.”

“The staff have learned to manage the challenges of such a new and revolutionary program,” adds Wallace. “They have truly made every effort to think outside the box in order to meet our needs as a distance learning class.”

A commitment to quality classroom and clinical experience
Both the traditional and distance learning RN programs are 22 months in length and composed of lecture and skills laboratory experiences in addition to clinical experiences four to five days per week. While lecture and skills lab experiences are offered in the classroom setting, the hands-on clinical experiences are provided in facilities throughout Sentara on the Peninsula and South Side.

“We strive to develop a curriculum that focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary to provide the highest quality care,” said Shelly Cohen, director of the Sentara College of Health Sciences. “Extending the reach of our program through distance learning allows us to offer more options to people who may live or work on the Peninsula.”

Newport News resident Pritchett was happy to be able to complete her classroom requirements close to home but also took advantage of learning opportunities in clinical settings throughout Sentara.

“I completed three clinical semesters outside of the Peninsula facilities and I was glad,” says Pritchett. “I got a range of experience - from general nursing care in a community hospital setting at Sentara CarePlex Hospital to tertiary care at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.”

Karen Neary, MSN, RNC, instructor for Nursing 201 obstetrics and pediatrics at the Sentara College of Health Sciences, lectures Distance Learning students at the College's Greenbrier location, while students at ODU's Peninsula Higher Education Center watch the lecture.

Wallace echoes that sentiment, “I found the clinical experience to be excellent, and in speaking with my peers from the other side of the water, to be no different than their experience.”

“Our goal as nursing educators, particularly in this time of true nursing shortage, is to continue implementing effective strategies to attract and educate greater numbers of talented people to this rewarding profession,” added Cohen. “We are proud of all of our programs and we are so pleased to be able to provide more people with access to our RN program.”

To learn more about the Distance Learning program, visit the Sentara College of Health Sciences Web site.