NVRH Director of Nursing Education Britta Hensel demonstrates medical equipment to a student.
ST. JOHNSBURY, VT (September 30, 2025) – An innovative collaboration between the Lyndon Institute and Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) is offering Licensed Nursing Associate (LNA) instruction to high school students during the 2025-2026 academic year. Students currently enrolled in the program take daily classes and gain hands-on health care experience to prepare for Vermont licensure testing. The use of scenarios with simulated patients, modeled after medical students’ training, allows students to practice their skills in realistic situations.
NVRH’s new Director of Nursing Education Britta Hensel, RN leads the simulations and classroom instruction. With experience as a wilderness EMT, an emergency room and ICU nurse, and a nurse educator, Hensel brings expertise and passion to the subject of educating future health care professionals. Offering high school students hands-on experience in health care settings, she says, brings countless advantages.
“Students develop the skills and knowledge they need to take the test for their LNA and to become safe, effective care providers,” she explains. “They gain life skills and professional skills—and the more knowledge and experience they have, the better prepared they are to enter the health care field.”
Students who complete the “Introduction to Health Care” course can earn a college credit. In addition to their work in the classroom, students shadow at facilities including NVRH, Canterbury Inn, Maple Lane Nursing Home, Cedar Lane, the St. Johnsbury School nursing office, the Riverside Life Enrichment Center, and Northern Counties Health Care, gaining hands-on experience in a variety of health care settings.
Innovative partnerships like this are widely seen as a win-win for local health care institutions like NVRH, which are always looking for new ways to recruit and retain skilled employees.
“This forward-thinking strategic collaboration should help enhance our recruitment efforts here at NVRH and provide a valuable resource for the community, now and in the future,” says NVRH CEO Shawn Tester.
The program can have broader value for high school students who may still be exploring career options. “Even if students decide that a career in nursing isn’t for them, they’ve gained life skills and experience in a professional setting,” says Hensel. “Building relationships and being a team player are skills required in most every industry. They’re more prepared for whatever career they decide to pursue.”
LI Head of School Dr. Brian Bloomfield is enthusiastic about the collaboration’s value for students.
“Our partnership with NVRH means students don’t just study healthcare, they live it,” he says. “With hands-on experience, real certifications, and the confidence to succeed, they’re building meaningful careers and brighter futures right here in the NEK.”
Founded in 1867, Lyndon Institute is a comprehensive Town Academy high school and Career & Technical Education Center serving grades 9–12. With more than 155 years of history, LI has long offered students a blend of academics, arts, athletics, and hands-on career pathways.
Lyndon Institute also offers LNA and Phlebotomy courses for adult learners; for more information visit https://www.lyndoninstitute.org/adult-continuing-education#. Classes begin October 6.