Part of a Long-Term Strategy to Address National Workforce Shortage and Support Non-Traditional Learners
VermontBiz Efforts to address the local impact of a nationwide workforce shortage in health care will get a boost from two new, transformative nursing programs leading to Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Nursing degrees.
A collaboration between UVM Health Network, Norwich University and Vermont State University, supported by $1.5 million in grant funding from the federal government and Vermont Agency of Human Services, these programs target the nursing shortage on two fronts: the immediate need for bedside nurses and the shortage of faculty to provide clinical instruction to prospective nursing students.
The Accelerated BSN Pathway Program allows UVM Health Network employees to continue earning wages and benefits while studying to earn their degree. This financial stability is a significant benefit for students who might otherwise have to reduce their work hours or leave their jobs to pursue further education.
In a first-of-its-kind approach, the MSN Nursing Education Pathway Program expands nurse education capacity in Vermont by seamlessly integrating clinical faculty hours into the regular job schedules of MSN program participants. This is made possible through an inventive dual service agreement, where nursing schools reimburse UVM Health Network for clinical instruction hours at their rates, and participants continue to receive their full-time pay and benefits as UVM Health Network employees while providing clinical instruction for part of the week.
For both programs, tuition, fees and books are covered in advance by grant funds from the federal government and the Vermont Agency of Human Services, making the pursuit of a BSN or MSN degree more financially accessible.
Speakers included Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jason Williams, Interim Chief External Relations Officer at the UVM Health Network; Jerald Novak, Chief People Officer at the UVM Health Network; Jessica Wood, DNP, Director and Associate Professor at Norwich University School of Nursing; and David Bergh, EdD, President, Vermont State University.
Photo: Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at podium.
“Partnerships such as these are critical to our mission of preparing students for jobs that our state and economy sorely need—paramount among them nursing,” said Dr. David Bergh, interim president of VTSU. “By working collaboratively with state and federal government and employers like UVM Health Network, we have effectively doubled the number of students in our nursing program in recent years.”
“These programs set a new national standard for models of sustainable workforce development in health care,” said Jerald Novak, Chief People Officer at the University of Vermont Health Network. “This approach provides much-needed flexibility for non-traditional learners, effectively removing the common barriers individuals often face when trying to balance life, work and continuing education. We are excited for the students currently enrolled in these and our many other workforce development programs, and know these talented people will have a positive impact on the lives of our patients and communities in the coming years.”
Photo: Jerald Novak, UVM Health Network Chief People Officer.
“Norwich University is honored to join forces with UVM Health Network and Vermont State University to provide solutions to the current substantial nursing shortage affecting not only Vermont but also our nation,” said Aron Temkin, Associate Provost for Online Learning, Dean of the College of Professional Schools, Professor. “These cohorts of much needed Accelerated BSN and MSN students will contribute to alleviating some of the pressure experienced across our region and will be vital in continuing to add frontline healthcare workers in the future.”
Graduates of these programs will have advanced qualifications that can open new career opportunities. BSN graduates will commit to a two-year, full-time direct care nursing role within UVM Health Network, while MSN graduates will commit to a two-year dual service agreement with a partnering Vermont college of nursing. 35 students are currently enrolled.
UVM Health Network and its partners offer multiple career pathway programs for current staff and external jobseekers. A complete listing of available programs can be found online at uvmhealthnetworkcareers.org/center-for-workforce-development.html.
Photo: Group photo.
About the University of Vermont Health Network
The University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. The partners are:
The University of Vermont Medical Center
The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice
Our 15,000 employees are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to the University of Vermont, each of our affiliates remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.
