ASU, Phoenix Children’s Partnership Fast-Tracksโ Student nurses into Pediatric Roles
PHOENIX,โ AZ – October 9, โ2025 – A collaborative program between Arizona State University and Phoenix Children’s โฃHospital is providing nursing students with immersive, real-world experience, considerably increasing theirโฃ prospects for immediate employment in pediatric care. The program, designed to address the challenges ofโ hiring new graduate nurses into specialized fields like pediatrics, offers students extended clinical rotations and dedicated โpost-graduate training within the hospital.
The unique partnership emphasizes โขa family-centered approach to โcare, a cornerstone of pediatrics. “It’s a soft skill, but very much what we do โฃin โขpediatrics is working with an entire family,” explained program instructor Bodine. “I might have a baby โin the bed, but then I alsoโค have parents that I’m educating.” Students learnโฃ to adapt communication strategies toโค different age groups, recognizingโค theโฃ distinct needs of a two-year-old versus an 18-year-old, and utilize techniques like music therapy toโ create a safe habitat for young patients.
The โprogramโ culminates in a “Transition toโค Practice” semesterโ where students focusโ on a specific area of Phoenix Children’s – such as neurology orโ neonatal intensive care – chosen based โคon their โขinterests. This focused experience frequently enough leads directly to job offers.โข Actually, all eight students on madiโข Dominguez’s team โขwere hired by Phoenix Children’s,โค with Dominguez herself receiving an โคofferโค before โgraduating in โAugust 2025. โค
“You โbuild really goodโข relationships with the staff, so if that’s the โunit โคyou choose to work โon, you have a goodโฃ rapport going in,” Dominguez said. โ
While not a guarantee, the โprogram prioritizes โฃASU graduates โฃfor employment. “They come with experience,” Bodine stated. “They know ourโ communication style, how our pharmacy worksโฆ It is very different. But they already know that.โ So they come with a better resume than a traditional student.”
Student Duong-Tran echoed this sentiment, expressing gratitude for the opportunity.โ “I think if it โฃwasn’t for ASU’s connection with Phoenixโ Children’s Hospital,it would be so much harder for me toโ kind of step into the โขpediatrics world.A lot of pediatric hospitals don’t want to hire new grad nurses because they’re kind of inexperienced.”
