Covista Inc.

10/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/15/2026 14:46

SSM Health and Chamberlain: A Partnership Model For The Nursing Shortage

Nursing sits at the center of American healthcare. Nurses spend more time with patients than nearly any other clinical role, translating complex care plans into the daily support patients rely on. That makes the country's nursing shortage more than a staffing problem-it's a risk to the quality of care that communities receive.

Registered nurses are among the hardest clinical roles to hire for and retain. According to the Covista Care Capacity Monitor, nursing has more vacancies than any other healthcare role the report tracks, with 4.0 vacancies per job seeker among registered nurses, 5.9 among nurse practitioners and 8.2 among nurse anesthetists. Those deficiencies strain care capacity in the communities facing the widest shortages.

Case study: SSM Health

SSM Health, one of the largest Catholic not-for-profit health systems serving communities in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, has faced this shortage directly. A wave of nurses approaching retirement, combined with a costly reliance on travel nurses, pushed the health system to look beyond traditional recruiting. Amy Wilson, Chief Nursing Officer, and Amber Wood, Vice President of Clinical Education and Clinical Placement, identified three causes driving the gap:

  • Too few new nurses. Nursing school enrollment in SSM Health's regions wasn't growing sufficiently to meet demand.

  • Barriers to nursing education. Traditional full-time programs make it difficult for many qualified candidates to pursue nursing education, particularly non-traditional students balancing work or family responsibilities.

  • High first-year turnover and a need for additional support. Many new graduates leave their positions within one to two years, underscoring the need for additional support and practice-readiness.

What does a health system education partnership offer?

A health system education partnership is a direct, ongoing relationship between a healthcare employer and a school or university that builds a sustained pipeline of new talent for open positions. Executives rate these partnerships as one of the most effective workforce strategies available: 69% call them somewhat to very effective, ahead of hiring and retention bonuses (67%), staffing agencies (64%) and job board postings (62%).

To address its nursing shortage, SSM Health partnered with Chamberlain University, the nation's largest school of nursing and a Covista institution, to launch the Aspiring Nurse Program. The program pairs financial support with immersive clinical experience and a direct path to employment at SSM Health facilities after graduation.

Aspiring Nurse students complete the same coursework and degree requirements as any Chamberlain BSN student. They do their clinicals inside SSM Health facilities, alongside SSM Health staff, learning the practices, care models and culture they will work in. The program also includes an ethics course developed by SSM Health to prepare students for their first RN role, along with mentorship and early employment tracks, including a Nurse Extern position. Regular contact with SSM Health leaders and staff helps students acclimate before graduation.

The program was designed for students who cannot rearrange their lives around a traditional schedule, including working parents and career changers. Depending on location, Aspiring Nurses can earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Chamberlain's St. Louis campus, which offers evening and weekend courses, or through Chamberlain's online BSN program in Illinois, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

What is the impact of a health system education partnership like the Aspiring Nurse Program?

Many health systems doubt that more nursing talent exists in their markets. The Aspiring Nurse Program taps a largely hidden pool of talent they may not realize is there: working adults in their own communities who want to become nurses but need a flexible program and a clear path to get there. These students are the working parents and career changers the program was built for. Flexible schedules, financial support and a direct path to employment help open doors to a stable profession for people who might never have considered nursing school.

"Through the Aspiring Nurses program, we're not just convincing somebody who was already applying to nursing school to go from one nursing school to another, which is historically what's happened," said Wilson. "We're actually creating access to a population across the U.S. who may believe that they haven't had the ability to pursue a career in nursing."

The impact goes beyond cost. For SSM Health, a local pipeline of nurses trained in its facilities reduces reliance on travel nurses and other high-cost recruiting. For the communities it serves, nurses educated in the regions where they will work supports consistent, community-based care. And it is transforming the workforce to reflect the patient populations SSM Health serves. As these students graduate and join SSM Health, patients have the opportunity to be cared for by nurses who share their backgrounds, which supports more culturally responsive care.

At full scale, SSM Health and Chamberlain project the program will enroll 1,200 students, graduating 400 practice-ready nurses each year.

Explore the Covista Employer Partners page to learn more about how Covista partners with health systems to build talent pipelines.

Covista Inc. published this content on October 14, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 15, 2026 at 20:46 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]