GREECE, N.Y. — Unity Hospital celebrated 34 nursing students Friday morning, after a unique, jam-packed summer internship program. The program, also known as Excel Nursing Internship Program, provided hands-on hospital experience. 

Of the 34 interns, nearly a dozen traveled all the way from Puerto Rico.

A program leader from Rochester Regional Health said the internship is paid, and a great way to get build relationships with potential employees. 

In a time where workforce shortages are prevalent, the hospital said it aims to fill those gaps by working with young, eager nurses who may want to build a life here.

Friday’s celebration recognized the students’ 10 weeks of work alongside experienced nurses.

Crystal Rodriguez traveled from Puerto Rico.

“It’s very exciting, it’s a very great opportunity that was given to me,” Rodriguez said, all smiles. “Nursing is something I’ve always wanted to do since a little girl, and to see that now I’m going to be able to graduate next year from nursing school is very exciting.”

Rodriguez hopes to come back to Rochester after completing the program. 

“I do hope to come back. I really do love Rochester,” she said. “I just want to keep learning, being able to open the horizon, learn new things as each day goes.”

Anay Chavarria completed the program last summer.

Also from Puerto Rico, Chavarria returned to Rochester to work with RRH. She saw the city had a large Latino population and immediately felt at home.

“You actually get to have that one-on-one experience with the patient, and you get to see what nursing is like,” Chavarria said, of the program. She gained confidence in interacting with patients of similar backgrounds. 

“The moment they see someone that can speak to them in their language, sometimes they open up and tell you a lot more things, and you can see even how their facial expression changes,” she said.

“Empathy is something that is not taught to us in nursing school,” said Rodriguez. “Or even taught to us as a human being, so it’s important, we need to teach ourselves, learn ourselves, what is empathy,” she said.

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