Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle and Mississippi University for Women are working together to help ease the nursing shortage. In 2024, Baptist Golden Triangle and Singing River Health System became the first two hospitals in the state to join a registered nursing apprenticeship program through Mississippi Clinical Advancement and Residency Experience (M-CARE), a nursing education and workforce initiative designed to strengthen the connection between nursing education and clinical practice.
Baptist Golden Triangle Chief Nursing Officer Alicia Grant said the relationship between the hospital and MUW helps the hospital recruit and retain nurses and is crucial during a state and national nursing shortage.
“It is a perfect opportunity to grow our nurses right here in our community,” Grant said. “I look forward to continued success with this program.”
Six nurses from Baptist Golden Triangle — Cody Bolton, Christina Howell, Keysha Latham, Shevone Lewis, Ayana Morris and Torey Williams — serve as role models and mentors, providing guidance, support and direct supervision to MUW student nurses participating in M-CARE. Baptist Golden Triangle and MUW honored them during a pinning ceremony on Sept. 4.
The third class of four Baptist Golden Triangle nurses is working toward becoming clinical coaches.
Baptist Golden Triangle nurses who become clinical coaches complete a two-course certificate program offered through MUW that combines online learning with hands-on clinical experiences. The program allows participating nurses to develop knowledge that is immediately applicable while working directly with nursing students.
For students preparing to become nurses, M-CARE combines clinical training with the opportunity to earn wages. Five nursing students are currently part of the program at Baptist Golden Triangle. They are gaining hands-on experience and earning clinical credit while working as student externs with clinical coaches to help guide them through the experience.
Clinical coaches assist student externs with learning how to use Epic, finding their way around the hospital and choosing a specialty. Bolton, a critical care nurse, said he considers it an honor to help new nurses become as equipped as possible, especially during their first year following college.
