SNAH Experiential Learning and Clinical Sites

Experiential learning is the process of “learning by doing.” Engaging students in experiences where they can connect theory and knowledge is considered a best practice in education. Experiential learning is embedded into the curriculum for all SNAH students. Courses and experiences where students will have hands-on practice to connect theory and knowledge include:

Immersive Technology 

Augmented and virtual reality are immersive technologies that have recently been added to the cadre of experiential learning tools available to students at Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Nursing and Allied Health. The use of virtual and augmented reality allows students to have interactive, transformative learning experiences around scenarios that are difficult to reproduce or guarantee in a clinical or laboratory setting.  For example, students can use immersive technologies to practice different provider roles during a “code blue” emergency, or how to quickly and effectively respond to workplace violence, or how to manage the sound and speed of initial emergency room care during a multi-patient trauma scenario.

In addition, through the generous support of medical technology partners such as Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), students have access to the newest innovations in telehealth and point-of-care devices to develop competencies in caring for remote and rural patients. Together with the space and support provided in our Connected Care Center for Transformative Healthcare Education, these tools allow students to develop the knowledge, confidence, and skills to address the challenges of caring for diverse and underserved populations and optimally prepare them to address the social determinants of health in their communities.

Clinical Sites for Allied Health Students

The School of Nursing and Allied Health maintains clinical affiliation agreements with many agencies in support of allied health education.  A broad range of affiliation agreements provide students who are seeking careers in respiratory therapy, laboratory science/medical technology, radiography, or radiologic science with the opportunity to be immersed within a major regional health care agency, where most will be offered employment opportunities after graduation.  Among the clinical sites used to educate allied health students are:

• The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood NJ
• Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune NJ
• Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch NJ
• Morristown Memorial Hospital, Morristown NJ
• JFK Medical Center, Edison NJ
• Englewood Medical Center, Englewood NJ

Clinical Experiences for Entry-Level (RN) Nursing Students

Experiential learning in actual patient care environments is an essential component of the education of healthcare students. Entry-Level nursing students are assigned to go to acute care hospitals and subacute care centers to support experiential learning. Experiences will be selected to align with didactic course population foci (e.g., adults, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics).

Clinical sites are selected for use based on their ability to provide appropriate educational opportunities. Students are expected to arrange their own transportation to these sites and must comply with the parking regulations of each agency. These sites are located throughout the region and may require commuting up to 50 miles (approximately, depending on site availability) from campus. (See SNAH Student Manual – Clinical Issues.)

Our clinical affiliations include the following agencies, among many others:

• Atlantic Health System (e.g., Overlook Medical Center, Morristown Medical Center, Newton Medical Center, Hackettstown Medical Center)
• RWJ Barnabas Health (e.g., Children’s Specialized Hospital, Clara Maass Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospitals)
• Valley Health System (e.g., The Valley Hospital)
• Hackensack Meridian Health (e.g., Hackensack University Medical Center, Carrier Clinic, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Mountainside Medical Center)
• Englewood Health
• Holy Name Medical Center
• University Hospital of Newark
• New York Presbyterian (e.g., Cornell Medical Center, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, Westchester Behavioral Health)
• Veterans Affairs (VA) New Jersey Health Care
• Visiting Health Services of New Jersey
• Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey
• Kindred Rehabilitation/Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals
• Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital

Skills and Simulation Laboratories

Experiential learning also includes skills development in our clinical skills labs at Dickinson Hall (FDU Metro Campus, Teaneck) and simulation laboratories at Park Avenue Plaza (230 Park Avenue, Florham Park). Experiences in skills laboratories will be selected to align with didactic course content (i.e., Comprehensive Health Assessment, Foundations of Nursing I and II). Interprofessional simulation experiences (e.g., with pharmacology, physician assistant, occupational therapy, and/or respiratory therapy students) conducted in our simulation laboratories allow students to develop team and communication skills.  Students are expected to arrange their own transportation to these clinical sites, which may require commuting between campuses. 

Community Engagement

Nurses are highly impactful in promoting population health through community engagement. Providing experiences for students to develop community engagement skills is an important vehicle to bring about environmental and behavioral changes that will improve the health of the community and its members.  Nursing students will develop these community health competencies as participants in health fairs, food pantries, Head Start and WIC programs, blood drives, and vaccine clinics.  Students can also develop community wellness leadership skills through participation in FDU’s LiveWell Warriors Peer Health Educator programs. 

Clinical Sites for Advanced-Level (APN) Nursing Students

Advanced practice nursing (APN) students participate in planned clinical practice experiences that afford them the opportunity to develop professional competencies and to integrate new knowledge in practice settings that are aligned with their population concentration. Preceptors (including nurse practitioners, physicians, and other qualified providers) support students in a broad range of settings (e.g., private offices, health care clinics, telehealth, long term care settings) to ensure that students will develop competencies to function as members of interprofessional teams.

APN students can choose from sites that are in our large portfolio of clinical affiliation agreements or can identify alternate clinical sites and preceptors in collaboration with faculty, who are responsible for evaluating overall student performance in clinical practice experiences. FDU maintains cooperative agreements that support APN clinical opportunities in other states, including New York. APN students must hold an RN license in the state where they are requesting a clinical placement. (See important out-of-state student disclosures and SNAH Student Manual – Clinical Issues.)

MSN and DNP students who work in a healthcare facility that has a clinical affiliation agreement with FDU are eligible to receive a tuition discount (see Nursing Programs). MSN and DNP students who are interested in establishing a clinical affiliation agreement between FDU and a healthcare facility (to either obtain the tuition discount or as a clinical site) should contact the School of Nursing and Allied Health and discuss their interest with a Program Director.