The Power of a Nurse Cohort: What It Means for Nursing Students

Humans are social creatures, whether or not they’re introverts. Although nursing school might seem overwhelming at first, you won’t go through it alone. You can always lean on others in your nurse cohort for support. Some students find it helpful to build connections with other nursing students, and you might find new friends in nursing school that you keep in touch with.

At Northeastern University, our small class sizes not only provide personalized attention from instructors but also encourage nursing students to grow closer and forge lasting relationships. Our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program can be the start of the next stage of your life. You’ll acquire new career skills, relationships and a fresh beginning.

Ahead of your nursing school start date, learn about the basics of a nursing cohort.

What Is a Nursing Cohort?

A cohort in nursing school refers to a group of nursing students who share the same start date and expected graduation date. Together, you take the same online classes, attend in-person labs and work through clinical rotations at the same healthcare facilities. In other words, you’ll be seeing the same group of students often, and the proximity provides great opportunities to make friends.

Benefits of a Nursing Cohort in an ABSN Program

The formal cohort structure is not unique to ABSN programs; some other degree programs, such as evening class students, also use a cohort structure. In nursing school, however, cohorts are more likely to become cohesive. This is because nursing school is quite challenging, with plenty of material to work through and new skills to learn. Nursing students need all the support they can get, and the cohort structure provides that.

There are many benefits of a nursing cohort for ABSN students.

Mutual Support

You will find some aspects of nursing school to be more difficult than others, and this is true for other students, as well. When you’re having a hard time with the material, another student in your cohort who grasps it more easily might be willing to lend a hand. Similarly, you can be there for other cohort members when they need help.

Try these tips:

• Recognize that people under stress often just want to vent; they don’t necessarily expect or want others to offer solutions but rather to listen without judgment.
• Validate your friend’s feelings and experiences.
• Offer encouragement, such as by reminding your friend of their strengths.
• If your friend is experiencing significant stress that doesn’t go away or interferes with functioning, you might suggest counseling.

Opportunities for Study Groups

In addition to offering emotional support, nurse cohorts can present opportunities for study groups. Look for a study group to join or take the initiative to invite a few cohort members to a study session. For best results, each study group member should agree on an agenda for each session ahead of time, and everyone should arrive ready to work.

Building a Professional Network

You don’t have to wait until you’re a practicing nurse to start building your professional network. It’s possible that one of your fellow cohort members could later connect you to your dream job. By connecting with other cohort members and building a working relationship, if not a friendship, you’re expanding a network that can prove useful for your nursing career.

Variety of Perspectives

Every member of your nursing cohort brings their own unique perspective to the table. A cohort with members of all different backgrounds is stronger because members can learn from each other’s perspectives.

For example, another nursing student might approach a clinical care problem from a different perspective and solve it differently than you would. This introduces you to new possibilities you might not have thought of on your own.

What to Expect When Joining a Nursing Cohort

With your cohort to support you, you’re never alone as a nursing student. You may find it helpful to know what to expect when joining a nursing school cohort.

Shared Learning Journey

You and your new friends in nursing school will experience a shared learning journey together. You’ll start classes on the same day and plan on graduating on the same day. You’ll take the same classes in the same sequence and meet for in-person labs and shifts at nearby healthcare facilities. This shared learning journey helps foster a sense of community and fellowship.

Nurturing Collaboration and Building Teamwork Skills

You will work collaboratively with the same nursing students, thanks to your shared learning journey. In addition to participating in study groups for online classes, you’ll work with fellow cohort members in nursing labs.

In nursing skills labs, you’ll learn how to perform nursing tasks, such as wound care and IV line placement. You might even decide to get together with another cohort member to work in the lab after hours, if permitted, to get in some extra practice.

In nursing simulation labs, you and other members of your cohort work in small groups. Each group is presented with a patient care scenario simulated by a realistic, high-tech medical manikin capable of mimicking patient responses. You’ll learn to work collaboratively as part of a team to figure out what’s going on with the “patient” and decide upon an appropriate clinical response. Afterward, your group will be debriefed together.

Tips for Connecting to Fellow Cohort Members

For some students, meeting people and forging new relationships comes naturally. Others may need to work at it a bit more. Regardless of which describes you, you might find these tips useful for connecting to your new cohort members:

• Don’t be shy about introducing yourself. Someone needs to make the first move.
• Offer a compliment to break the ice.
• Ask questions to get to know your fellow cohort members.
• Offer emotional support when someone seems to be struggling with stress.
• Ask others to join your study group and consider bringing coffee and baked goods.

Find Your Cohort at Northeastern

Northeastern University provides a fast track to the nursing field for prospective students who have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or at least 62 non-nursing college credits. If you’re eligible for the ABSN program, you could graduate in as few as 16 months and sit for the NCLEX as a practice-ready nurse candidate.

You can choose from ABSN program sites in Charlotte, North Carolina; near Providence, Rhode Island; and near Boston, Massachusetts. You can also plan for one of three start dates each year in January, May or September. With small class sizes and a supportive faculty, Northeastern’s ABSN program is designed to help you thrive.

Contact our admissions counselors today, and they’ll help you create a step-by-step plan that suits your needs and goals.