The demand for nurses is at an all-time high and the number of open nursing positions in the healthcare field is growing rapidly. Mapping nursing career paths, providing learning and training while also offering a living wage to students is the newest strategy to deliver qualified nurses into the workforce.
Auburn University College of Nursing (AUCON) is the first four-year program in Alabama to launch a registered apprenticeship for RNs.
What does a nursing apprenticeship program at Auburn University mean? It means that students accepted into the nursing program get classroom instruction and on-the-job learning but at the same time they are earning progressive wages. During their last four semesters of the nursing program, students are working as employees with participating healthcare facilities, earning pay for work hours as well as program clinical and practicum hours. After successful completion of the apprenticeship program and the passage of the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination), the student transitions to full-time employment at the facility where they were an apprentice.
Josh Laney, Director of the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship, said “the opportunity for nurse apprentices to earn while they learn, to continue applying skills learned in class in a real work environment, and to extend time spent working one-on-one with their nurse mentors, will positively impact the nursing industry’s critical needs for recruitment and retention of highly prepared nurses.”
There are seven apprentices working for one employer in Auburn’s initial cohort. “We are excited about the opportunities the Student Nurse Apprenticeship Program will provide for our students. This program offers our students the ability to earn a wage while participating in their clinical requirements. We are hopeful this program will continue to expand, allowing AUCON and our students to meet the growing needs of the state of Alabama’s nursing work force,” said Hope Carroll, clinical placement coordinator for AUCON.
According to Dr. Caralise Hunt, associate dean for academic affairs at AUCON, the apprenticeship program will benefit students, the College of Nursing, East Alabama Health, and the local community. "These students will become registered nurses who will provide patient-centered, quality care to those in Auburn, Opelika, and surrounding areas," Hunt said.
Alabama’s new nursing apprenticeship program is just one way that the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship is partnering with colleges and universities to remove barriers to entry for students wanting to enter nursing while also helping to meet Governor Ivey’s Success Plus Goal of adding 500,000 credentialed workers to the workforce by 2025.
