News Brief: A Donation Nursing Couldn't Refuse

Back in March when the Covid-19 pandemic challenged Lifespan's ability to provide personal protective equipment for medical staff, RIC Assistant Professor of Nursing Lisa Connelly and her students donated a batch of N95 masks from their personal supply. 

That kind of altruism doesn't go unanswered. Recently Connelly contacted Lifespan's director of supply chain and materials management to purchase face shields for nursing students. Lifespan responded with a donation of a whopping 500 face shields as a token of appreciation.

Connelly was ecstatic. "One face shield will be enough to get a student through the entire semester," she says. "They will be used during labs, simulations and anytime students are within six feet of each other. The face shields can also be wiped down after each use and reused multiple times."

"We're fortunate to have such a long-standing relationship with Lifespan Health System, our clinical partner," says Dean of the School of Nursing Carolynn Masters. "Our undergraduate and graduate students benefit from engaging in quality patient care and our school benefits through this generous and timely donation."

The School of Nursing at Rhode Island College is recognized for its highly competitive programs, its state-of-the-art technology and simulated clinical experiences, its faculty committed to excellence in teaching both in the classroom and in the clinical setting, and its high-performing students. For more than 10 years, the student pass rate on the NCLEX-RN licensure exam has consistently remained above state and national averages, reaching as high as 98 percent. And RIC nursing graduates, who continue to reflect the social, ethnic and economic diversity of the state, are preferred candidates for clinical positions. 

The School of Nursing partners with major health care agencies to offer clinical education and to contribute to the improvement of health care throughout the State of Rhode Island and the surrounding community. One of it's partners is Lifespan Health System, a comprehensive, integrated, academic health system affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Lifespan partners include Rhode Island Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital's pediatric division, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Bradley Hospital, Newport Hospital and Gateway Healthcare.