Calhoun Launches First-Ever Apprenticeship Program to Address Statewide Nursing Shortage
Decatur, AL — The Calhoun Community College Nursing and Career Services Departments joined forces with the Athens Limestone Hospital, Decatur Morgan Hospital, and South Hampton Nursing & Rehabilitation Center to create the college’s first-ever nursing apprenticeship program. To celebrate this milestone event as well as the students who have been accepted into the program’s first cohort, a signing ceremony will be held on Thursday, September 1, at 3:00 p.m. in the Health Sciences Building, room 109, Decatur campus. The media is invited to attend and to conduct interviews.
“Alabama’s hospitals are grateful to community colleges and the Alabama Board of Nursing for their efforts to help meet a significant need for additional hospital nurses,” said Dr. Donald Williamson, President of the Alabama Hospital Association. “Our hospitals look forward to working with their local colleges to provide hands-on experience and mentoring for these future nurses,” he added.
According to Dr. Lynn Hogan, Calhoun’s Nursing Department Chair, this idea derived from a state-wide initiative by the Alabama Board of Nursing and the Alabama Community College System to help train nurses more efficiently to enter the workforce. The colleges worked with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship, local and regional hospitals, and healthcare employers in a joint effort to help recruit and retain employees who have been oriented and worked in a facility during their career as a student to have a positive impact on the demand for nurses.
“Good healthcare begins with highly trained and compassionate nurses,” Alabama Nursing Home Association President and CEO Brandon Farmer said. “We’re excited to see nurse apprenticeships begin because it will draw more people into Alabama’s healthcare sector and will enhance the workforce development efforts of our association and its members. We will be active partners with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship to help nursing homes employ and mentor nursing students,” added Farmer.
Calhoun’s nursing apprenticeship program will not only provide students with the ability to receive hands-on training in nursing, but they will also get paid while working for one of our partner facilities. The program replaces traditional clinical hours with on-the-job learning with a nurse-mentor at the bedside for four semesters and upon completion, graduates will receive their associate degree in nursing. “The nursing shortage has been an ongoing issue and has only gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic,” commented Dr. Hogan. “Our goal is to provide quality training as well as on-the-job experience to our students while earning a paycheck as most of our students have households to maintain,” she added.
To learn more about Calhoun’s Nursing Apprenticeship Program, and how to apply for its next cohort, contact the Nursing Department at 256-306-2974 or nursing@calhoun.edu.