Nurse Work Study to Help Staff Shortage in Vermont Hospitals

• Three hospitals in Vermont (Northwestern Medical Center, Southwestern Medical Center, and UV’s Medical Health Network) are premiering new nursing work-study programs. 
• These programs have received $9 million in state funding and will cultivate nursing talent from the hospital’s existing staff and help grow the nursing workforce. 
• The success of these programs will be gauged in 2026 when the first cohort of nurses graduate and begin serving their patients in their communities. 

This fall, three hospitals in Vermont are premiering a new potential solution to the nurse staffing shortage. The hospitals have developed a work-study program that allows existing employees to take nursing courses while working and progress in their careers.

Northwestern Medical Center, Southwestern Medical Center, and the University of Vermont’s Medical Health Network have been awarded $9 million from the state to fund this new work-study.

These programs hope to help hospitals keep up with the increased patient demand. Kelly Campbell, the director of professional development at NMC, states that the daily census of patients has nearly doubled in recent years. The hospital has been able to physically keep up by increasing the number of beds but now needs more nurses to care for these patients.

This investment from the hospital into growing its nursing workforce will hopefully alleviate its reliance on temporary/traveling nurses. While these nurses are essential to maintaining staff, they are also a temporary solution to the staffing crisis.

This article will detail what makes the new work-study program at each hospital and how it will benefit current and aspiring nurses.

Northwestern Medical Center

Beginning in late September, six employees at NMC became the first cohort of aspiring nurses in this program. Each employee comes from a different department of NMC and receives support for any financial or academic needs that may arise.

What makes this program different than typical work studies is the financial support NMC affords its aspiring nurses. Jill Cross, a medical assistant at NMC with over 25 years of healthcare experience, explains that she gets paid for her work-study hours, allowing her to pursue nursing while continuing to support her family.

Another student in this program, Corrine Powell, spent the last 10 years working at the Northeaster Family Institute before applying to NMC for this program. She currently works in food service at the hospital and states that she is excited to restart her educational journey and “to work at the hospital, within my local community, alongside community members.”

NMC also benefits from this program by gaining critically needed nurses. The hospital can also expand its entry-level job opportunities to cultivate talent for this work-study program.

This program is possible due to a partnership between the hospitals, the Vermont Talent Pipeline, Vermont State University, the Community College of Vermont, and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) is also premiering its version of this program, with six aspiring nurses currently enrolled and the potential for ten more each year. SVMC outlines the timeline for the program:

• Year 1: Allied Health Prerequisite Courses at the Community College of Vermont
• Year 2: Practical Nurse pre-licensure certificate program at Vermont State University
• Year 3: RN pre-licensure associate degree program.

Aspiring nurses who go through this program are also eligible for student loan repayment if they work for 3 years as an RN at the hospital post-licensure. There are several loan forgiveness and repayment programs available for nurses, but these programs cannot guarantee the same security as Vermont’s nursing work studies.

UVM Health Network

UVM is currently experiencing the most dire staffing crisis, with nurses making up nearly half of its 2,000 staffing vacancies. In order to compensate for this larger need, UVM has enrolled 65 students across six programs in their health network.

Aspiring nurses at UVM are currently working as surgical technicians, respiratory therapy technicians, and radiology technicians. This program allows UVM to foster growth for their employees who are already experienced in healthcare but previously lacked the resources to grow.

The Bottom Line

While this new program cannot solve the nursing staffing crisis alone, it is a substantial investment from the state into creative solutions to solve the nursing staff shortage.

This program also benefits nurses as they continue their careers at the hospitals. Cultivating preexisting nursing talent at hospitals also means that nurses will have a deeper connection to the community they serve. These nurses will also bring various perspectives to the care team as their backgrounds grant them insight into different parts of the hospital.

If this program is a success, then other states are likely to explore similar solutions and bring more nurses with healthcare experience to the hospitals that need them the most.

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