By stabilizing and growing our workforce, we can ensure ongoing access to high-quality patient care within our own backyard while equally introducing the next generation to fulfilling careers within their community.
Lyndsy McIntyre, MSN, RN, MBAValley Regional Hospital, a member of Dartmouth Health, in collaboration with River Valley Community College (RVCC) and ApprenticeshipNH, developed and successfully launched New Hampshire’s first licensed nursing assistant (LNA) registered apprenticeship program for high school students, ages 16-18.
The inaugural class of eight high school students dedicated their summer break to learning and developing foundational healthcare career skills and core professional competencies required for successful employment.
“We are the communities we serve, and it’s Valley Regional’s mission to improve community health, patient experience and value,” said Lyndsy McIntyre, MSN, RN, MBA, chief nursing officer and vice president of operations at Valley Regional Hospital. “By stabilizing and growing our workforce, we can ensure ongoing access to high-quality patient care within our own backyard while equally introducing the next generation to fulfilling careers within their community.”
Applicants participated in a robust selection process, and the selected individuals were hired as Valley Regional employees. The apprenticeship included multiple teaching models, including classroom work, clinical lab simulation hosted by RVCC, and clinical rotations at Valley Regional. The 8-week program culminated with a licensing exam with a 100% successful pass rate for all students.
“My LNA apprenticeship has created a positive benefit for my future goals because it has created a solid foundation of patient care and how to work in a hospital setting,” said Brianne Robertson, LNA student apprentice.
“I have so many good things I could say, but overall, this program was great,” said Cara Bouchard, LNA student apprentice. “I knew I wanted to get into healthcare, and this program helped me tremendously and made me so excited for the future.”
According to the New Hampshire Healthcare Workforce Coalition, by 2030, almost one-third of Granite Staters will be over the age of 65, and a large part of this population will require long-term services and supports at some point, either at home, an institution or community-based setting.
“ApprenticeshipNH is pleased to partner with Valley Regional Hospital, RVCC, and area high schools to provide an important and essential healthcare career pathway in the Sugar River Valley region of New Hampshire,” said Mary Ann Gaschnig, high school developer at ApprenticeshipNH. “We look forward to our continued collaboration in providing workforce development opportunities in healthcare and other industry sectors.”
There is currently grant funding for a variety of healthcare career paths. To explore healthcare career opportunities, please visit vrh.org/careers.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.