As printed in the Q4 2023 ACCS Alabama Minute Newsletter.
Alabama faces a shortage of nurses as older nurses’ departures exceed the number of new nurses entering the workforce. This trend has led to many vacant nursing jobs in facilities across the state, leaving major healthcare employers struggling to fill thousands of positions.
In response, Alabama’s community and technical colleges have been tackling nursing shortages with nursing apprenticeships. These are paid career paths that allow residents to learn and earn at the same time. Coastal Alabama and Gadsden State community colleges were the first to offer nursing apprenticeships in Alabama, and more such apprenticeships have sprung up across the state since 2022.
“We are very proud of what this program has become, and we’re confident that applicants who complete apprenticeships will have a stronger foundation to pass the NCLEX exam and to begin their careers caring for patients at a high level,” said Peggy Benson, Executive Officer of the Alabama Board of Nursing.
The board issues permits to the student nurse apprentices and regulates their practice to ensure patient safety and access to care. Currently, apprentices serve more than 60 healthcare businesses across the state.
“We’ve had several hospitals from the state and outside our region call and ask, ‘How’d you do this? Show us the blueprint’, so it lets us know we’re setting a standard for others across the country,” said Tracy Doughty, Huntsville Hospital President and Chief Operating Officer.
The hospital offers nursing apprenticeships through Drake State, where 19 licensed practical nurses were recently pinned in the college’s inaugural LPN Launch cohort.
More information about the apprenticeships is available at www.accs.edu/healthcare
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