The Cascade City-County Health Department is helping nursing students get hands-on training.
CCHD Privacy Officer and Case Manager Trisha Gardner said they have a longstanding agreement with Montana State University in Bozeman.
“We have their nursing students come here for some clinical hours with us every semester. This has been going on for at least ten years,” Gardner said.
Gardner said they get requests from other colleges and universities.
This includes students who are taking online classes and need an internship or clinical hours filed.
Recently, they made an agreement with Montana State University Billings for their nursing program. The program is not only beneficial for the students, but for CCHD.
“On our side we get to help develop a future workforce and teach them what public health is. They get to see all the programs that we do and offer to our communities,” Gardner said.
The students can see firsthand what they have learned in public health classes.
Gardner said they also get to see behind the scenes of what really happens at a public health facility.
“Public health is one of those areas that if we are doing our job right, you do not hear about us. It tends to be in the background,” Gardner said.
Gardner said they have also had students earn their Master of Public Health in a dietetic program, and get a Bachelors in community health.
For more information about the City-County Health Department, visit its website.
