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Trinity Health commits $1.75 million over 5 years

Trinity Health, Minot State University and Dakota College at Bottineau are embarking on a five-year collaboration to assist in meeting the healthcare needs of the region and create more opportunities for students to receive a nursing education in the community.

Trinity Health has committed to donating $1.25 million to Minot State University’s Department of Nursing and $500,000 to Dakota College at Bottineau’s nursing programs over the next five years. The initiative, ‘Nursing for the Future,’ is aimed at ensuring both institutions will continue to admit, prepare and graduate high-quality nurses. And, in turn, provide Trinity Health with a robust pool of graduates to recruit from.

‘We have enjoyed a great relationship in the past with both Minot State University and Dakota College at Bottineau – and this strategic partnership further demonstrates our commitment to work together to achieve common goals into the future,’ said Karen Zimmerman, RN, MSN, Trinity Health vice president and chief nursing officer. ‘Our organizations share a vision of attracting talented people into the nursing profession so we can continue to support our patients and region for years to come. This partnership demonstrates what we can do together when faced with challenges in an ever-changing, but very exciting industry.’

The funds will support the long-term growth and continued development of the nursing programs. For MSU, the funds will provide the opportunity for the Department of Nursing to continue to admit up to 33 qualified nursing students into the programs each semester, 66 students annually, and will collaborate with Trinity Health to select appropriate learning experiences for students focused on quality, safety and effective patient care using evidence based care and best practices.

In this partnership, the two entities will collaborate to provide recruitment activities for high school students interested in a nursing career and for nursing students in their senior year of the nursing program. The MSU Department of Nursing will also continue to employ positions implemented in the 2011 ‘Nursing for the Future’ collaboration including a director of nursing simulation, a nursing faculty member and an administrative assistant. These positions have been critical in meeting the needs of the nursing program associated with the increased number of students.

I gained an abundance of experience in hands-on patient care because of my clinical experience through MSU at Trinity Health,’ said Kylie Mindt, ’16, RN, BSN. ‘Clinical and internship opportunities allowed me to see many different areas of nursing, and I was able to determine which area I wanted to pursue a career. It made the transition from student nurse to registered nurse very positive.”