(Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – May 20th, 2022): Following an extensive three-week orientation with InterHealth Canada- Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital, seven Associate Degree in Nursing students enrolled at the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC) have begun their Clinical Rotation experience at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre on Providenciales. The students will apply theory learned in the classroom to practice in various clinical settings and graduate with many hours of hands-on experience.

Settings for the clinical rotation experiences are spread throughout the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre offering students the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in areas in the Out-patient Department, The Emergency Department and the General ward on 8 hours shifts. Portions of the Clinical Rotation programme will be done at tertiary care facilities overseas.

“The Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital have signed an Affiliation Agreement with the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College and Ministry of Education in 2014. As a result, as of March 2020, The Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital achieved Teaching Hospital status. We welcome the nursing students and are happy to play a critical role in helping them to develop quality nursing skills through our accredited teaching program. From clinical experience, the students will garner the necessary attributes of caring, critical thinking skills, application of situational knowledge, competence and clinical skills they need in their careers as future nurses”, said the Acting CEO and Chief of Clinical Services Mikette Been.

“We are pleased with the collaborative efforts of key stakeholders. TCI Hospital as a teaching hospital is delighted  to contribute to the educational experience and future nursing excellence of these bright and talented nursing students here in the Turks and Caicos Islands”, added Acting CEO Been.

“Clinical experience is a critical aspect of the Nursing Education programme at the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College. It transforms theoretical knowledge into practice and is the cornerstone of nursing as a health profession. This is the final phase of the medical program for our students who have completed three- years of study locally. They will now get the hands-on approaches while working with the medical team providing patient care and treatment under expert guidance”, explained the Interim President of the TCICC, Mrs Clara Gardiner.

“This is also an opportunity for the students to discover various fields of medicine and nursing specializations”, added TCICC Interim President Gardiner.

Prior to the clinical rotation programme, the nursing students participated in a three-week orientation programme facilitated by the Training Department of the Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital on Infection Prevention and Control, Medication Management and Reconciliation, Quality, Risk and Patient Safety, Safeguarding the Vulnerable Groups, Load Management and Client Handling Techniques, Customer Care in Healthcare, Emergency Disaster Codes, Health and Safety and Skills Training.

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