The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) recently announced that its School of Nursing students are benefiting from valuable clinical instruction at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital-Bradford in Massachusetts. This opportunity was made possible through financial support from Greenleaf VI, Inc., a financial consulting firm and member of the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority.

The partnership between Greenleaf VI and the nursing school offers UVI nursing students expanded learning opportunities and experiences. Greenleaf covers the cost of the trip, as well as room and board for the students. Ten students and two professors from the nursing program at the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix will participate in clinical rotations at Whittier, followed by ten students from the Orville E. Kean Campus on St. Thomas.

This collaboration between UVI and Whittier began in December 2021 and has enabled the purchase of software licenses for students to access virtual simulation products needed for program delivery since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, students were spared the burden of covering the cost of simulation products, and UVI was able to maintain enrollment numbers at the School of Nursing (SON).

In April 2022, Greenleaf VI President Philip Arcidi, who also serves as Treasurer of Whittier Health Network, presented an opportunity for UVI nursing students to visit Whittier’s facilities in Massachusetts. This visit aimed to address challenges in accessing clinical sites in the territory. After in-person assessments and the development of a clinical rotation program and schedule, a virtual orientation session was held for students and Whittier nursing staff to review the program.

UVI SON Dean Mary Beverley Lansiquot collaborated with Whittier’s Director of Nursing Services Heather Grondin to ensure that the initiative met the School of Nursing’s objectives, improving the quality of clinical experiences for nursing students.

While at Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital, UVI students will have hands-on clinical experiences, enabling them to meet the End of Program Student Learning Outcome before graduating in May 2023. Under Dean Lansiquot’s leadership, the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rate has improved, and enrollment at UVI’s School of Nursing has grown. The clinical practice immersion will help prepare senior nursing students for the NCLEX and entry into the nursing profession.

Greenleaf VI has a history of philanthropic support for the University, including gifts to the UVI School of Medicine, the UVI Rise Relief Fund Initiative, and contributions to the UVI School of Medicine after the 2017 hurricanes.