Providence Nurses Partner with WSU in Dual Workforce Pipeline

• To address their acute nursing shortages, Providence and Health & Services has partnered with Washington State University. 
• This partnership involves nursing students working part-time at nurse techs under the supervision of practicing nurses. 
• Providence is also offering $5,000 of student debt forgiveness to Washington State’s nursing graduates who continue to work at Providence.

As nursing shortages continue to plague healthcare facilities across the United States, Providence Health & Services has partnered with Washington State University (WSU) to offer a creative solution. The hospital’s workforce pipeline partnership with WSU’s nursing program hopes to give nursing students supervised clinical experience and a place at Providence after graduation.

Without this partnership, WSU would not have had the necessary instructors to accept a full class of nursing students, further perpetuating the area’s lack of nurses. Julie Orchard, the chief human resources officer for this region of Providence stated, “[WSU] approached us, and they were having trouble filling their educator roles, and it looked like they might have to reduce the number of nurses they were going to put in their program. We really needed them to be taking a full load of nurses, because we’re in a demand for nurses.”

Learn how this partnership benefits Providence, Washington State University, and the nurses within this workforce pipeline.

Providence Health & Services Pathway

In the past two years, Providence has faced an acute nursing shortage, losing more than 600 nurses, nearly half of the nursing staff. This understaffing has led to unsafe patient ratios, with one nurse caring for six to seven patients per day shift.

These staffing issues, alongside other grievances, have led nurse union leaders at the hospital to call for a strike if negotiations are not completed by October 30th. The nurses are negotiating for better pay and safer staffing ratios, even going so far as to push for city leaders to intervene.

Even with these steps, the nursing shortage is not one that can be fixed overnight, and Providence is continuing its partnership with Washington State University to help bring in more nurses while benefiting their education in the process. 

This workforce pipeline partnership between Providence and WSU allows nursing students to work part-time at the hospital as nurse techs. In return, Providence nurses teach part-time at the university.

Washington State University

While the hospital benefits from this new partnership through access to more nurses, WSU benefits through gaining practicing instructors for their student body. There are currently two RNs from Providence teaching at WSU.

One of these instructors, Diane Martinez, has worked at Providence for 12 years and now works three days a week teaching at the university, and two days a week working with students at the hospital. Martinez calls this partnership “ingenious” as it allows students practical clinical experience, access to the most up-to-date policies, and the ability to transition from an academic to a work setting.

WSU’s partnership with Providence is one of the many ways they are helping nursing students transition into clinical practice. Undergraduate students are placed in the following six clinical environments: Long Term Care/Nursing Homes, Med Surgery/Hospital, Pediatric, Obstetric, Psychiatry, and Community Health.

These placements allow students to work alongside nursing instructors, providing real care to their community.

Nurse educators like Nurse Martinez are highly sought-after. They bring clinical experience, mentor experience, and often advanced degrees/certifications to the classroom. There are also becoming more and more in demand, with an expected employment growth of 22% between 2021 and 2031, compared to 5% for all occupations.

Martinez hopes the success between Providence and WSU can lead to future partnerships with other local nursing programs.

Student Loan Forgiveness

Washington State University costs an average of $28,000 per year, with students paying an average of $9,000 per year after financial aid, grants, and scholarships. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, these costs are in line with the norm, however, they can still be a limiting factor for potential nurses.

As part of this nursing pathway, Providence offers students $5,000 of student loan forgiveness if they join the hospital after graduation. This, alongside federal nurse loan forgiveness programs, can help alleviate the financial strain on nurses pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Some hospitals offer similar student loan forgiveness by allowing tuition assistance benefits to be put toward preexisting student loans. However, utilizing tuition assistance this way is uncommon and may be at the hospital’s discretion. For nurses graduating from WSU, they know that Providence offers forgiveness without the hassle. 

The Bottom Line

As Providence’s partnership with WSU enters its second year, we will see how the program evolves with the new staffing contract being negotiated at Providence. The working conditions of the nurses at Providence must be the facility’s primary concern, especially with nursing students working in the facility and making judgments about their future. The collective voice of nurses will be heard as Washington’s nurses come together in support of one another and in support of the best care for their patients.

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