ECMC and Trocaire join forces

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Nurses dedicate their lives to round-the-clock care and now a new partnership in Buffalo is in place to provide better training for nursing students.

Student nurse Amber Cothard graduates in two weeks, and when she does, she'll already have some strong hands-on experience.

"Today I helped with a NG tube, flushing someone's tube making them more comfortable," said Cothard.

Cothard is taking part in a new partnership between Trocaire's School of Nursing and ECMC.

It enables students to work with specially trained ECMC nurses, while still under the supervision of their Trocaire instructor.

RN Amy Eustace thinks sharing her skills makes sense.

"With the nursing instructor shortage it's hard to get your instructors attention and instructors are pulled in so many directions so the one-to-one with a working RN is great," explained Eustace.

Rather than a one instructor per eight student ratio, one nurse will be assigned only two students who gain experience on one of ECMC's busiest wings.

ECMC CEO Jody Lomeo said, "For a nursing student to come here and be on the step down unit for trauma and see what we see every day, I think is going to have a tremendous impact and help them make a better decision."

As many are already aware, there's a great demand for nurses, and it continues to grow as our population ages.

"The number of nurses that will graduate will be better skilled, will be the long-term effect of it," said Trocaire College President Dr. Paul Hurley.

Student nurse Janice Little says the personal attention is priceless.

"One of the examples is taking care of a wound from a gunshot victim that was learning how to do that, monitor the patient vitals, things I'd never learn without being in this program," said Little.

The program is the first such effort involving a two-year college and expected to pay off in better care for patients.

In these difficult economic times, ECMC's CEO says it makes sense to work together with other institutions to train our young people, and keep them in town.

Some of these student nurses hope to get hired by the hospital.