Saint Joseph's College Online Nurse Practitioner Program Drops On-Site Summer Session Requirement

STANDISH, ME (01/11/2011)(readMedia)-- Saint Joseph's College of Maine announces that its graduate online family nurse practitioner program will now allow its master's-level nursing students to gain clinical experience in their home areas under the supervision of a local clinical preceptor and a Saint Joseph's clinical coordinator. The program as adapted will allow students to finish their program more quickly and without required on-site clinical residencies in Maine.

"Interest in the online family nurse practitioner program has been strong, and gaining clinical experience in one's home area is an obvious advantage for many students," says Dr. Lois Hamel, director of online nursing at Saint Joseph's and a nationally certified primary care nurse practitioner. The college's clinical coordinator will tightly oversee and regulate the preceptors and overall clinical component, which is an integral part of the primary care provider's learning experience.

Students will be required to demonstrate the same clinical competencies, but without the added burden of travel to Maine for two summers. They have the option, however, of attending classroom summer sessions on the Standish campus to take other nursing courses required for their master's degree, which is largely online except for the clinical component and optional summer classes. For more information, visit http://online.sjcme.edu/msn.