Fairfield University and Norwalk Hospital Launch Nursing Scholars Program

The new partnership will provide second-degree nursing students with immersive clinical education, faculty mentorship, specialty-area exposure, and a direct pathway into professional nursing practice.

Fairfield University’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies is expanding its clinical education partnerships with the launch of the Norwalk Hospital Scholars Program, a new collaboration between Fairfield’s Accelerated Second Degree Nursing (ASDNU) program and Norwalk Hospital. The program, which begins this semester with three ASDNU students, reflects a shared commitment to preparing highly qualified, practice-ready nurses for the region’s healthcare workforce.

“The partnership represents an important investment in the future of nursing education,” said Patricia Simino Boyce, PhD, RN, dean of the Egan School. “By working closely with Norwalk Hospital, we have created a model that strengthens clinical preparation, expands professional opportunity, and supports the long-term healthcare needs of our community.”

A More Integrated Clinical Experience

Students selected for the Norwalk Hospital Scholars Program will complete nearly all their clinical rotations at Norwalk Hospital. The model is designed to provide continuity in clinical education while integrating students into the Norwalk Hospital community. Rather than rotate through a variety of clinical settings, as is the norm in clinical nursing education, scholars will learn within a single hospital environment, promoting greater familiarity with clinical systems and workplace culture.

The program also emphasizes sustained mentorship. Scholars will work with a dedicated team of clinical faculty at Norwalk Hospital, providing the opportunity to build strong relationships with faculty mentors over the course of their education. In addition, the Norwalk Hospital team will coordinate additional programming and professional development opportunities specifically for students in the program, exposing them to diverse clinical topics, specialty areas, and nursing career pathways.

“When students train within a consistent clinical environment, they gain far more than technical experiences,” said Christopher Lacerenza, DNP, FNP-BC, chair of undergraduate nursing. “They develop confidence, professional judgement, and meaningful mentoring relationships that facilitate the transition from student to practicing nurse.”

A Pathway From Student to Professional Nurse

As part of the partnership, students in the Norwalk Hospital Scholars program may apply for Student Nurse Associate positions at Norwalk Hospital. Students selected for these paid roles will complete a designated number of shifts each month while continuing their nursing education. The added responsibility of the position will provide valuable hands-on clinical experience and allow students to build stronger working relationships with members of the Norwalk Hospital team.

The Student Nurse Associate opportunity is a particularly important feature of the program because it creates a bridge from academic preparation to professional practice. By working at the hospital while earning their degrees, student nurses will deepen their clinical experience, strengthen their understanding of team-based care, and gain early insight into the expectations of the professional nursing role. The goal is to create a direct pathway from nursing student to professional nurse, with the possibility that scholars may pursue full-time employment at Norwalk Hospital after graduation.

“A key priority of this program is preparing workforce-ready nurses who are equipped to meet the needs of our local communities,” said Dr. Lacerenza. “These partnerships also create a strong pipeline into practice, with many students choosing to remain within the health system as new registered nurses.”

Strengthening the Regional Nursing Workforce

Fairfield Egan has developed similar Scholars models with other healthcare partners, and those programs have demonstrated meaningful benefits for students, including strong academic performance, successful NCLEX outcomes, and high job placement rates. The Norwalk Hospital Scholars Program builds upon this proven approach, pairing immersive clinical education with intentional professional formation in a leading healthcare setting.

Through the partnership, Fairfield University and Norwalk Hospital are advancing a shared vision for nursing education—one that offers students high-quality, integrated clinical learning while building a strong pipeline of BSN-prepared nurses for local healthcare systems. The program illustrates how academic and healthcare institutions can partner effectively to promote student achievement and improve community care.

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