The University of Kansas Health System in Great Bend is proud of the role it plays in educating the next generation of health-care workers. The health system partners with colleges and universities – local and around the country – to provide the clinical and shadowing experience students need to graduate.
The health system also partners with many universities to offer preceptorships, a period of practical training under the supervision of an experienced clinician, to students studying for advanced healthcare degrees.
In 2022, health system preceptors have hosted physician assistant, nurse practitioner, pharmacy and medical students from Wichita State University, the University of Kansas, Fort Hays State University and many out-of-state universities for nurses studying to become nurse practitioners.
Some of those students go on to join the care teams at The University of Kansas Health System in Great Bend. One of those former students is Scott Schneider, APRN, who now works in the Great Bend Campus Emergency Department.
“While completing my clinical rotation at Great Bend Campus, I got to see firsthand the clinical acumen of the team here and could think of no better place to complete my emergency medicine rotation,” said Schneider, who joined the Emergency Department after completing his master’s degree in family nurse practitioner at Simmons University in Boston. “The level of acuity we treat here is rarely seen anywhere else in rural Kansas.”
Opportunities in many programs
Since Jan. 1, 17 students in paramedic, surgical, radiologic and medical lab technician training, and physical therapy and ultrasound programs have shadowed professionals at the health system.
“Having students shadow us is a wonderful opportunity for the student and the professional. Having a student here helps me see what I do through new eyes,” said Shannon Deines, imaging manager at Great Bend Campus. “When a student is in my department, I get to share my knowledge and experience. When they shadow with us, we prepare them to provide the best patient care possible.”
Shadowing and completing clinical requirements at the health system means students experience firsthand what life is like as a healthcare professional.
“Once I was in the heart of my rotation, I could better appreciate the culture of team building and the high level of competence my colleagues in the Emergency Department are building,” Schneider said. “This was absolutely a team I wanted to be part of to start my career.”
By the end of the year, more than 120 nursing students from Barton Community College, Fort Hays State University and the University of Kansas School of Nursing will have worked on their clinical experience requirements at the health system in Great Bend.
Support beyond colleges and universities
The health system supports not only college students preparing to enter a healthcare profession, but also offers opportunities for high school students who are exploring a career in healthcare. During the 2022-2023 school year, five seniors from Great Bend High School will intern with the health system and shadow healthcare professionals in most of the areas of the hospital and clinics.
In addition to providing opportunities for college and high school students, the health system partners with Great Bend Fire Department to provide necessary clinical experience for those in its advanced emergency medical technician course.
For more information about opportunities for clinical rotations and preceptorships, contact Stephanie Oglesbee, RN, BSN, clinical nurse educator, at 620-603-7423.
