Becker's Hospital Review

45 CMO / CARE DELIVERY Northwestern illuminates nursing pathway for nonclinical workers By Paige Twenter K iana Smith joined Northwestern Medicine two years ago as a Panera Bread employee before becoming a security guard in the emergency department. Time around patients sparked her interest in a clinical role, and thanks to a systemwide program, she achieved the career leap. In 2022, the Chicago-based system launched a basic nursing assistant training program in preparation for the growing nursing shortage. e program is geared toward hospital employees in nonclinical roles who are interested in nursing, such as those in environmental services, housekeeping, food services, security and front desk positions. Aer 16 weeks of training, the students take the Illinois Nurse Aide Competency Certification Exam. e program has graduated 27 people and 11 are in patient care technician roles across the health system, including Ms. Smith, who works on a general medicine floor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to a health system news release. "I have a passion for caring for people, and my next step is nursing school," Ms. Smith said in the release. "I've always had plenty of jobs, but never a career. I'm here today thanks to hard work, determination and this amazing program through Northwestern Medicine." More than 50% of the program's graduates are now in nursing school, according to Northwestern Program Director Tacora Love, MSN, RN. "I think the program ignited a flame," said Ms. Love, an instructor who helped develop the curriculum. Most nursing schools require applicants to be a certified nursing assistant, and CNA programs can cost thousands of dollars and conflict with 40-hour workweeks, Ms. Love told Becker's. At Northwestern, there's no cost and students' managers work with the instructors to accommodate schedules. e program has taught students — with ages ranging from 19 to 51 — about nursing through weekly lessons in classrooms, labs and clinical settings. e hard and so skills, including time management and emotional intelligence, have helped empower people looking for their next step, Ms. Love said. On July 26, the program will welcome its first class of external students. n Fewer nurses intend to leave healthcare, surveys suggest By Mariah Taylor Survey data trends suggest fewer nurses intend to leave the field compared to last year. AMN Healthcare's Nurses in 2024 report, a survey of 1,155 nurses, found that only 35% of nurses plan to change jobs and about 20% said they are optimistic that their work will improve this year. A February report by AMN also found 31% of nursing leaders are considering leaving their jobs. These numbers are significantly lower than what was reported last year. In January 2023, an AMN Healthcare report found 85% of nurses intended to leave their hospital jobs in the next 12 months. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a large amount of research and surveys suggested the potential for a mass exodus of nurses and providers, and many have taken it as a warning to improve retention. To meet nurses' needs, hospitals have poured resources into retention efforts, ranging from knowledge assessment tools to utilizing artificial intelligence to virtual nursing and more. These initiatives appeared to have contributed to reducing the number of nurses intending to leave their job or the field. This trend comes as many studies show the workforce is stabilizing. A JAMA Health Forum study found the nursing workforce was 6% larger in 2023 than in 2019. The Health Resources and Services Administration and U.S. Census Bureau released a report that found about 5% of the workforce, or 195,000 nurses, left the workforce during COVID-19. Forty-three percent of those who left plan to return, while 19% said they do not intend to come back. Now, some systems are honing in on the next area of concern for nurses: workplace violence. A February report from National Nurses United found 60% of nurses said workplace violence has led them to change jobs, leave jobs or at least consider leaving the job or even the profession entirely. n

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