~Institutions align to address nation’s health care needs~
CAY HILL, Sint Maarten— Health care workers are in high demand, with shortages sweeping the globe. To help address the need for more nurses in Sint Maarten, The National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) is partnering with American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) and Chamberlain University, the largest nursing school in the United States.
The institutions have signed an agreement to collaborate in training more nurses in Sint Maarten. As part of the agreement, Chamberlain and AUC School of Medicine, both Adtalem Global Education institutions, will partner with NIPA to develop an associate’s level nursing degree program in Sint Maarten. The partnership is the first of its kind for the nation, and the schools are calling it a significant step towards meeting the Caribbean’s health care needs.
“The NIPA realised there was a need for a revamp of the current Nursing program, because we wanted to train the students who graduated to be able to take up jobs in the international labour market, not just locally.” Said Drs. Peggy Ann Dros, Chairlady of the AVE Supervisory board of directors. “We identified the need to launch a School of Nursing; a completely separate wing of the NIPA. In order to successfully achieve this goal, it would be necessary to hinge our program on a United States (US) accredited curriculum. AUC was essential in this process, not only because of its current cooperation with the NIPA, but also because of the relationship with Chamberlain University, which boasts multiple campuses across the US offering undergraduate degrees in Nursing.”
The goal is to allow students to attend NIPA, and, with a curriculum based on Chamberlain University, provide them with an associate’s degree in nursing, allowing for a seamless transfer to an American university to complete a Bachelor’s in Nursing; preferably with Chamberlain University. The launch and revamping of the NIPA School of Nursing has officially begun, but is scheduled to be fully operational as of the first quarter of the NIPA 2021 semester.
Registrations are anticipated to begin as soon as the 2020 semesters. The entire signing was livestreamed via the NIPA Facebook Page. Drs. Dros urged viewers to be vigilant of the Page’s activities, as a majority of the information from the Nursing School would be published there.
“AUC is excited to work with our Adtalem colleagues at Chamberlain University, as we expand our collaboration with NIPA, together increasing the opportunity for nursing education here in Sint Maarten,” said Dr. Heidi Chumley, executive dean, AUC School of Medicine. “Creating a stronger health care workforce, through initiatives like this one, is a crucial part of growing quality health care in Sint Maarten and the broader Caribbean community.”
“The partnership with NIPA provides a unique opportunity for Chamberlain to have a positive impact on the health of the people in Sint Maarten,” said Karen Cox, Ph.D., R.N., FACHE, FAAN, president of Chamberlain University. “Like many areas of the world, there is a shortage of trained nurses and this agreement will help close that gap.”
Present were Drs. Dros, and Mrs. Annuska Friday – Illis, Vice-chair of the AVE Supervisory board of directors, along with other members of the NIPA Management and Support Team. Representing AUC were Executive Dean, Dr. Heidi Chumley; and Mr. Hazarie Ramoutar, Campus Administrator. Attending on behalf of Chamberlain University was Provost, Dr. Carla Sanderson, and her team; Senior Director of Partnerships, Dr. Danika Bowen; Senior Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Kellie Bassell; and Dr. Taryn Hill, Dean of Academic Affairs.
Also present was Mr. Eric Mitchell, Director of Government Relations for Adtalem, parent company for AUC and Chamerlain.
