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Nurturing Future Nurses

Public/private partnership works to build up the bedside workforce

By CCBC Stories

September 11^th, 2023

The health care industry continues to face hiring challenges due to high attrition caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers have quit at the highest rate in 20 years. For hospitals, the need is great, and the competition is stiff to fill nursing positions.

A new public/private partnership between CCBC, University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC) and Baltimore County is addressing this workforce need by giving people easier access to a nursing career and to fill bedside vacancies. The partnership - called the Public Health Pathways Program - specifically connects residents in historically underserved communities with high-demand nursing positions.

The program provides 30 scholarships that fully cover tuition and fees for CCBC’s Certified Nursing Assistant program. Once students graduate, they are offered employment with full benefits at UM SJMC where they can continue their education and work toward becoming a licensed practical nurse.

Nicole Beeson, MBA, MSN, RN, senior vice president of Patient Care Services at UM SJMC

“High turnover at the bedside has left the hospital constantly recruiting and rebuilding its staff,” said Nicole Beeson, MBA, MSN, RN, senior vice president of Patient Care Services at UM SJMC. “Quality patient care starts with having adequate staffing at the bedside. That’s why this partnership is so important. It offers access to a solid career and helps the hospital fill much-needed certified nursing assistant positions, with potential for continued growth.”

Beeson, a CCBC alum, knows the benefits a health care career can provide. She said her start in CCBC’s Nursing program was life changing.

“When I enrolled in CCBC’s Nursing program, it was during a difficult time in my life. I was unexpectedly faced with raising three children on my own. I needed to figure out a plan for supporting my family and I knew I wanted a career to help people. Education was my path out of my current circumstance. CCBC’s Nursing program gave me the flexibility I needed to care for my kids and the opportunity to reclaim the future for myself and my children.”

Students selected for the Public Health Pathways program also receive a $1,000 workforce monthly stipend to help with things like transportation, childcare and housing needs, further breaking down barriers to a nursing career.

“Our hope is to create a bit of community around this group of students and watch them rise together,” said Beeson. “That’s what happened to me at CCBC.”

Extensive wraparound support for students in the program includes mentors, coaching and customized blueprints for success.

“From day one they’ll learn about us, learn how we do things, and we will also learn from them,” said Beeson. “We want them to know there’s a place for them here, whether they’re a CNA, LPN or RN. We’re all here to serve the same mission.”