One year after opening its doors, Galen College of Nursing’s Aurora campus is already demonstrating what can happen when nursing education and healthcare practice come together under one roof. 

Home to both a Galen campus and an HCA Healthcare Center for Clinical Advancement, this first of its kind integration gives students a unique opportunity to connect what they learn in the classroom with what happens in the hospital. The environment creates a pathway that can follow students from their first day of nursing school into their careers. 

“This is really different than any place I’ve ever been,” said Dr. Sandy Carollo, Dean of the Aurora campus. “We’re really striving for excellence, really working with integrity, and everything that we say that we’re doing, this campus really embodies that. And I think it’s even more important because right down the hall, we have HCA Healthcare.” 

The campus’s first year has already produced a significant milestone: its first graduating Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) cohort. 

All eight students in the inaugural cohort passed the NCLEX, the licensing examination required to become registered nurses. Eighty-eight percent were hired by HCA Healthcare, establishing an early connection between the classroom and the workforce. 

“I feel really good that we’re doing the right stuff here,” said Carollo. 

The next graduating cohort will include 27 students, and connections with HCA Healthcare are already being established. For campus leaders, the larger goal is to help address the need for registered nurses throughout the Denver metro area while preparing graduates to enter practice confidently. 

One of the campus’s greatest advantages is its access to clinical experiences within the HCA Healthcare system. Students can gain familiarity with the hospital environment, including its people, policies, and procedures, while focusing on their clinical objectives. 

The partnership also allows HCA nurses to contribute directly to the educational experience through a clinical scholar initiative, bringing experienced nurses into instructional roles. 

That connection means students can move more seamlessly from theory to practice. 

“If you’ve got a topic on wound care, we’ve got a wound care nurse. Let’s bring them in,” said Jennifer Broekema, Vice President of Clinical Education for HCA Healthcare. “They can talk about real life. ‘Here’s this patient scenario that I had, and this is how you would do it.’ We’ve got the content or experts that are able to really provide into the classroom space for Galen.” 

The collaboration extends beyond traditional clinical experiences. The campus recently piloted an interdisciplinary simulation where HCA Healthcare nurse residents and Galen students worked together through a myocardial infarction and code situation. The positive results have inspired plans to continue the experience. 

The shared campus has also created a unique environment where students, faculty, healthcare leaders, experienced nurses, and new graduates can cross paths every day. 

Some of the most meaningful connections have happened organically. Galen students have been welcomed into HCA spaces to study, have coffee and interact with nurses and new graduates. Leaders have seen students and nurses talking informally, sharing experiences and learning from one another. 

“You know, if they want to come over and study, if they’re looking for a quiet place. And so they are, they’re coming over and then I walk into the break room and I’ll see a Galen student who’s talking with one of our new grads and just kind of chatting by the microwave and sharing experiences, and I think those are the places where that unity is becoming a little more grassroots and it’s been really fun to be able to observe that,” said Broekema. 

The biggest example of the partnership’s impact is already visible in the halls of the campus. Graduates who once walked through the building as nursing students are now returning as HCA nurse residents. 

“Students that graduated in July that are in the residency program are coming down the same stairs that, six months prior, they were coming down as students,” said Carollo. “So that’s pretty exciting to see that.” 

The next phase of the partnership will focus on making that journey even more intentional. Galen and HCA are exploring mentorship opportunities, expanded clinical experiences, and additional ways to support students throughout their education. 

The long-term vision is a clearly defined pathway from student to nurse. 

“I’m really excited for the day when we have a new student start and we can say, ‘Here is your future,’” said Broekema.  

After one year, the Aurora campus has already laid that foundation. Its first graduates have entered the workforce, students are building relationships with practicing nurses, and the partnership between education and healthcare continues to grow. 

As the campus enters its second year, the focus is not simply on what has been accomplished, but on what comes next: expanding opportunities, strengthening the community and preparing the next generation of nurses to serve Aurora and the greater Denver metro area.