Community celebrates the first graduates of its Nursing Education Pathway powered by Unitek

Community celebrates the first graduates of its Nursing Education Pathway powered by Unitek

A special ceremony was held September 8 to celebrate the first students to graduate from Community Health System's Nursing Education Pathway powered by Unitek College. Cheered on by their family, friends and colleagues, students receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) took to the stage at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Auditorium to receive their diplomas and pins amid balloons, flowers and photo opportunities.

What makes these students so special is that 16 of the 22 new nurses are first generation college graduates. And all are Community Health System employees who jumped at the opportunity - and put in the time and work - to advance in their healthcare careers thanks to a partnership with Unitek College.

Solving the nursing shortage by creating new pathways to education

A shortage of nursing professionals exists here in the Central Valley and across the country - a problem that was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the challenge for those interested in nursing careers is that educational opportunities are not always available or practical.

"What we found was that we had a number of people that were interested in a nursing pathway, and getting into nursing programs, but for various reasons were really struggling with that," said Mary-Ann Robson, Executive Director of Clinical Education, Community Health System.

These reasons include limited availability in programs, stiff competition and financial struggles, as well as the challenge of balancing work, home and school.

The Nursing Education Pathway solves these issues in an innovative and effective way: Unitek College provides faculty and academic content, while Community provides clinical experience and tuition support, as well as flexibility with work hours.

"We were delighted to partner with Community a number of years ago to come up with a really unique program that marries together the wonderful experiences you can get from working in a healthcare system with a great education, and pulling the two together to help and support people who always wanted to be nurses but weren't able to," said Tom McNamara, Chief Operating Officer of Unitek College.

Filling a healthcare need in the Central Valley

One student benefitting from this partnership is Juan Mendoza, who began his career as a licensed vocational nurse. After working bedside at Community Regional for a couple of years, he wanted to advance to registered nurse (RN) but ran up against the shortage of educational opportunities.

"Healthcare is a pretty challenging and difficult field to dive into," Mendoza said. "What sets this program apart from other programs was that I was able to continue working and incorporate school as if it was almost another shift."

He wasn't the only one excited to apply to the Nursing Education Pathway. When Community's partnership with Unitek first launched, interest exceeded everyone's expectations.

"Six hundred people expressed interest as soon as it was announced," said Robson, "which I think is phenomenal and speaks to the desire of employees that work with Community to really continue that legacy of care for our patients."

Currently, the Nursing Education Pathway is open only to Community Health System team members, but the hope is to make it available to others in the community. Expanding education in the Central Valley is a critical component of The Cause - Community's vision for advancing healthcare not just in the region but nationally.

"We look forward to seeing how this is a model for nursing education across the country," said McNamara.

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