Elliot Hospital and New England College Announce Partnership to Strengthen Nursing Workforce in New Hampshire

Elliot Hospital and New England College are excited to announce an innovative partnership that will help educate, train and develop the next generation of nurses in New Hampshire.

This joint nursing education program will allow students to combine classroom learning with immersive clinical experiences over the course of a three-year, accelerated program. Graduates of this program will earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a strong liberal arts foundation from New England College.

“Health care organizations rely on prepared, skilled staff to fulfill their missions, but many factors have complicated the ability to find the staff that is needed. This partnership with New England College will help to build and sustain talent now and well into the future,” said Dr. Greg Baxter, President and CEO of Elliot Health System. “By working together, we all win, and most importantly, we all can serve and heal our communities even more effectively. We are pleased to join New England College in this partnership, and we look forward to welcoming New England College students to our organization.”

“We know that hospitals and health care facilities across New Hampshire are understaffed and in need of additional support,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02). “That’s why I was proud to secure $2,000,000 for New England College to help increase its program capacity to educate and prepare more highly trained nursing professionals. With these new resources and this new partnership with Elliot Hospital, we will have more well-trained nurses out in the field and serving our communities.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the glaring shortages in our health care workforce, especially the need for nurses in New Hampshire and across the country. We must make investments to ensure our Granite State communities have access to the care they need to stay healthy at all times,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to have worked to secure this $2 million award for New England College to train the next generation of nurses.”

“New England College is committed to providing educational opportunities that meet the demands of our community, our state, and our nation. I applaud and appreciate the support we have received through this initiative from our elected officials,” said Dr. Wayne F. Lesperance, Jr., President of New England College. “This collaboration with Elliot Health represents an important contribution to meet the growing demand for nurses in health care settings.” 

Students will earn more than 25% of their credits in the practice setting working as Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNA) at Elliot Hospital. This will allow for a diverse clinical experience with rotations in the hospital setting, as well as outpatient clinics, community nursing locations and multiple other opportunities throughout the Elliot Health system. Upon graduation, these new BSNs will be eligible for hire at Elliot Hospital and ready to provide excellent clinical care from day one. 

For more information on applying for the program, visit www.nec.edu/nursing.