Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
June 2005
a
About CAEL
CAEL is a national, non-profit organization which creates and manages effective
learning strategies for working adults through partnerships with employers, higher
education, government, and labor. CAEL is recognized for its experience in designing
and implementing programs that address skill shortages in many sectors, including
healthcare. Committed to advancing opportunities for new and incumbent workers,
CAEL was able to contribute its unique knowledge and experience in adult learning and
development practices to advance this project, and to facilitate work across
demonstration sites.
For additional information about this project or on how to initiate career lattice
programs in your area, please contact Phyllis Snyder, Vice President of CAEL, at
psnyder@cael.org.
i
Acknowledgments
Many people have contributed to the development of this guidebook, which is based on
the work of the five pilot sites in our Nursing Career Lattice Program. Laura Ginsburg,
our Program Officer at the Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor
Services in the Department of Labor, has guided and supported our work from the start
of the demonstration through the completion of this guidebook, and continues in this
role as we begin work with four expansion states. The five site coordinators, Maria
Esther Bazan-Myrick, Bonnie Henningson, Melissa Kahn, Catherine Smith, and
Danielle Jackson,1 have done the work of making the nursing career lattices real. At
each site, our site coordinators have worked with key individuals whose help has
allowed us to move forward at each stage of the project; these people are listed on the
following pages. Our National Advisory Board, whose members are listed in Appendix
A, shared valuable insights and made significant contributions to the pilot. Former
CAEL staff member Barbara Hoenig also helped develop the program.
Three writers shaped the guidebook: Bonnie Cohen, Rachel Fichtenbaum, and Becky
Klein-Collins. Each of them worked to ensure that the guidebook contained the details
that other sites would need to create their own lattices and that the information was
easily accessible. Jamie Wolfe helped conceive of and implement the graphic design.
CAEL’s President, Pamela Tate, and the staff responsible for the Nursing Career
Lattice Program, Diana Bamford-Rees and Phyllis Snyder, reviewed the drafts of
the guidebook.
Finally, we hope that those of you who use the guidebook will contribute your ideas and
suggestions so that this resource can continue to develop.
1At the end of the first year of the pilot, Anne Wetmore, Washington State Director of Apprenticeship Training Employer and
Labor Services (ATELS), assumed responsibility for the Washington State Nursing Career Lattice Program.
ii
We wish to express great appreciation to the following people for
their contributions to the Nursing Career Lattice Program.
SOUTH DAKOTA
§ Employers
§ The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society
§ Neal Eddy, Vice President for Learning and Strategy Integration
§ Margot Hood-Rogers, Academic Coordinator and Learning Consultant
§ David Horazdovsky, President and CEO
§ Lynn Serbus, Human Resource Consultant
§ Marilyn Ter-Maat, Director of Resident Services, Clinical
§ Other Organizations
§ North Dakota State WIB
§ James Hirsch, Director
§ South Dakota Department of Labor Career Systems
§ Greg Johnson, Director, Sioux Falls Career Center
§ Lloyd Schipper, Deputy Secretary
§ South Dakota Board of Nursing
§ Gloria Damgaard, Executive Director
§ Lake Area Technical Institute
§ Robin Brown, Director of LPN Program
§ DOL OATELS
§ Dave Jackson, State Director of Apprenticeships, US DOL2
§ Dan Polk, North Dakota Bureau of Apprenticeship, DOL
§ Don Reese, State Director, South Dakota Bureau of
Apprenticeship and Training, DOL
MARYLAND
§ Employers
§ Genesis Healthcare Corporation
§ Paul Bach, Senior Vice President – Operations (Chesapeake Region)
§ John C. Raley, Regional Vice President of Human Resources
§ Deborah Rowe, Regional Director of Staffing Service
§ Adventist HealthCare
§ Tish Honse, Human Resources Director, Adventist Senior Living
Services
§ Kathleen M. O’Leary, Internal Consultant, Education Institute
§ Marcia Pritchard, Director of Clinical Education
§ William G. Robertson, President and CEO
§ Donald Russell, Human Resources Director
2 Dave Jackson has left South Dakota to become Apprenticeship Representative, US DOL, in Michigan.
iii
§ Barbette Weimer-Elder, Director, Healthcare Education Institute
§ Education Providers
§ Montgomery College
§ Angie Pickwick, Instructional Dean of Health Sciences
§ Maryland Association of Community Colleges
§ Ronnie Haertig, Director of Statewide Initiatives
§ Other Organizations
§ Maryland Hospital Association (MHA)
§ Catherine Crowley, Vice President
§ Maryland Governor’s Workforce Investment Board
(MD – GWIB) Healthcare Sustaining Committee
§ Halima Aquino, Industry Initiative Coordinator
§ Jean Davis, Policy Analyst
§ Robert Seurkamp, Executive Director
§ Montgomery County WIB
§ Eric Seleznow, Director of Economic Development
§ Montgomery Works
§ Karen Goss, Business Development Specialist
§ Maryland Board of Nursing
§ Alise Williams, Nursing Consultant, CNA Programs
§ Maryland State Department of Education
§ Kathleen Gallacher, Career & Technology Specialist
§ DOL – Baltimore, MD
§ Robert Laudeman, State Director, US DOL/ETA/OATELS-BAT
§ Karl J. Matzdorf, Apprenticeship and Training Specialist, Maryland
Apprenticeship and Training Program, State of Maryland
§ Sharon Middleton, Director, Maryland Apprenticeship and Training
Program, State of Maryland
WASHINGTON
§ Employers
§ SunBridge Healthcare Corporation (7 sites statewide)
§ Patricia Olson, Grant Program Manager, Clinical Education
Development
§ Kay Weiss, Workforce Development Manager
§ Education Providers
§ Seattle Community College District
§ LeRoy E. Drake, Chancellor’s Executive Assistant
§ South Seattle Community College
§ Pinky Dale, Dean of Apprenticeship & Specialized Training
§ Seattle Central Community College
§ Myrtle Mitchell, Executive Dean of Instruction for Workforce
Education
§ Shoreline Community College
§ Holly Moore, President
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§ Other Organizations
§ Snohomish County Workforce Development Council
§ Kristen Gillisse, Healthcare Skills Gap Project Manager
§ Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
§ Ellen O’Brien Saunders, Director
§ Madeleine Thompson, Policy Analyst, Legislative Liaison and Lead
Staff to the Washington State Healthcare Personnel Shortage
Taskforce
§ DOL OATELS – Seattle, WA
§ Anne Wetmore, Washington State Director of OATELS
CHICAGO, IL
§ Employers
§ University of Chicago Hospitals (UCH)
§ Jim McLean, Director of Partners in Learning
§ Marjorie Roark, Coordinator of Nursing Completion Programs
§ Judy Schueler, Executive Director and Chief Learning Officer,
University of Chicago Hospital Academy3
§ The Renaissance at South Shore (Chicago)
§ Demetrius Mack, Assistant Director of Nursing
§ Leonor Pardo, Director of Nursing
§ Dave Schechter, Executive Director
§ The Council for Jewish Elderly (CJE) – Chicago
§ John Dugan, Corporate Director of Human Resources
§ Carla Furca, Recruitment Coordinator
§ Mark Weiner, CEO
§ Sheila Zakin, Director of Nurse Education
§ Mount Sinai Hospital and Health System (Chicago)
§ Lee Camper-Franklin, Clinical Education and Professional Practices
§ Marianne Gray, Clinical Educator
§ Claude Hall, Director of Government Funding
§ Education Providers
§ City Colleges of Chicago
§ Dr. Bill McMillan, Associate Vice Chancellor of Workforce
Development
§ Angela Starks, Executive Director of Career and Technical Education
§ Oakton Community College
§ Dennis Graham, Dean, Science and Health Careers
§ Other Organizations
§ Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (MOWD)
§ Zaida Chaidez, Staff Assistant
§ Jasmika R. Cook, Project Coordinator
§ Mary Wood, First Deputy Commissioner
3 Judy Schueler is now Vice President and Chief Learning Officer of the Abrazo Healthcare System in Phoenix, Arizona.
v
§ Chicago Workforce Boards
§ Joanna Green, Director of Youth Policy, Chicago Workforce
Investment Board
§ Linda Kaiser, Executive Director
§ Mary Pepperl, President, Workforce Board of Northern Cook
County
§ Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC)
§ Mary Anne Kelly, Vice President
§ Kevin Scanlan, Executive Vice President
§ Illinois Department of Professional Regulations
§ Dr. Maryann Alexander, Nursing Act Coordinator
§ The Illinois Council on Long Term Care
§ Kevin Kavanaugh, Director of Public Affairs
§ The Illinois Coalition for Nursing Resources
§ Nancy Krier, Executive Director
§ DOL OATELS – Chicago, IL
§ Terrence Benewich, Regional Director
§ Harry Dispensa, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training
Representative, US DOL
HOUSTON, TX
§ Employers
§ Harris County Hospital District
§ Dr. Mary Ashley, Chief Nursing Executive, Harris County Hospital
District
§ Lyllyan Bradshaw, Manager, Employment & Recruitment
§ Nancy Crider, Nurse Education Coordinator for the Learning and
Resource Center
§ Michelle Fowler, Center Director/Chief Nursing Officer, Community
Health Centers
§ Lou Gould, Administrator, People/Organizational Development
§ Elizabeth De Guzman, Associate Administrator/Chief Nurse Officer,
Ben Taub Hospital
§ David Lopez, Interim Chief Executive Officer4
§ George Masi, Associate Administrator, Ben Taub Hospital 5
§ Celeste McLaughlin, Nursing Instructor
§ Barbara Reece, Associate Administrator/Chief Nursing Officer, LBJ
Hospital
§ Alicia Reyes, Senior Vice-President, Community Health Program
§ Donna Wilkerson, Professional Recruiter, Nursing Supervisor
§ Education Providers
§ Houston Community College System
4 David Lopez is now Chief Executive Officer of Harris County Hospital District.
5 George Masi is now Chief Operating Officer of Harris County Hospital District.
vi
§Sharon Benthall, Coordinator of EKG, Phlebotomy Program,
Southeast
§ Thelma Bowie, Coordinator of C.N.A. Program, Southeast
§ Dr. Johnella Bradford, Dean of Workforce Development
§ Kathy Housel, Coordinator of Continuing Education, Southwest
§ Deborah Johnson-Simmons, LVN Program, Southeast
§ Roger Kline, ADN Program, Southeast
§ Dr. Norma Perez, Dean of Health Sciences, Southeast
§ Ruth Stevelman, Coordinator of Continuing Education, Southeast
§ Ollie Williams, Coordinator of C.N.A. Program, Southwest
§ San Jacinto College District
§ Alana Curry, Director of Vocational Nursing Program, North Campus
§ Serita Dickey, Associate Dean of Health Sciences and Business, North
Campus
§ M. Elaine Novak, Program Director of Community Education, North
Campus6
§ Catherine O’Brien, ADN Program, South Campus
§ Linda Roberts, LVN Program, South Campus
§ Barbara Taplin, ADN Program, Central Campus
§ Other Organizations
§ Greater Houston Area Health Education Center (GHAHEC)
§ Tracei Riedel Wilson, Executive Director (former)
§ Dana Smith, Executive Director
§ The WorkSource (Houston, TX)
§ Karen Love, Health Industry Liaison
§ DOL OATELS – Houston, TX, Austin, Dallas, TX
§ Theresa Brandon, Regional Executive Assistant
§ James Carnes, US DOL, Houston
§ Toni Dean, US DOL, Houston
§ Steven D. Opitz, State Director
NATIONAL PARTNERS
§ US DOL OATELS – Washington, DC
§ Laura Ginsburg, Employer and Labor Liaison
§ Anthony Swoope, Administrator
§ Rio Salado College
§ Dr. Anne McNamara, Faculty Chair, Nursing
§ Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
§ Steven L. Dawson, President
§ Vera Salter, Director of the National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care
Workforce
vii
Since 2003, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has placed
special emphasis on addressing workforce issues in the healthcare industry. Nationally, health
care is expected to account for one out of every six new jobs created by 2012, adding 3.5 million
additional workers. These numbers are exacerbated by the aging baby boomers, who have
already begun to retire and are placing a greater demand on the health care system than any
previous generation. Some issues that have come to the forefront as a result of this crisis:
A crisis of this scale calls for new ways to address issues. The Council for Adult and Experiential
Learning (CAEL), through a US DOL grant, took a unique approach to tackle some of these
problems. They created a career lattice to increase the number of Certified Nursing Assistants
(CNAs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Registered Nurses (RNs). The program combined
the Registered Apprenticeship training model for the CNA and LPN with online instruction and
clinical training for the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). The guidebook explains how the
program was instituted and works at five sites so it can be replicated at other locations. Although
the programs described have all been in operation for two years or less, there are promising trends
that point to the value of this strategy:
Sincerely,
Anthony Swoope
Administrator
Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services
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National Headquarters Telephone 312.499.2600 Website www.cael.org
55 E. Monroe St., Suite 1930 Facsimile 312.499.2601
Chicago, IL 60603
As President and CEO of CAEL, an organization with over thirty years of experience in
expanding opportunities for people in the workforce, I am pleased to present this
guidebook. Since the 1990s, when CAEL began working in the healthcare sector, we
have found that maximizing internal opportunities for employees increases staff retention
and enhances the quality of care provided. In 2003, CAEL received a grant from the U.S.
Department of Labor to design and pilot a program that would address local healthcare
needs. In this guidebook, we describe the model we developed—the CAEL/DOL Nursing
Career Lattice Program—and share strategies for replication and implementation with
you and others who are developing responses to key issues in healthcare. We hope you
will find this guidebook helpful, and we invite you to contact us if you have further
questions.
Sincerely,
Pamela Tate
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Table of Contents
page 1 Executive Summary
page 8 How Career Lattices Help Solve Nursing and Other Workforce
Shortages in Healthcare – An Introduction
page 8 Background: The Nursing Shortage
page 9 Overview of the CAEL Nursing Career Lattice Program
page 11 How to Use This Guidebook
page 24 The Career Lattice Model in Action: A Case Study of the Harris
County Hospital District
page 24 Employer-Driven Design for a New Career Advancement Program
page 25 The Role of the Site Coordinator
page 25 Recruiting Participants
page 26 Implementation Activities
page 27 Outcomes and Other Program Statistics
x
page 29 Operational Lessons from the Career Lattice Initiative
page 29 Support consistent and constant communication from the outset about
program goals and purpose
page 30 Identify the Site Coordinator early in the process
page 31 Find willing and eager partners
page 31 Win executive level support for the nursing career lattice initiative
page 32 Focus initially on the nursing roles with great potential for impact
page 32 Prepare for success
page 32 Pay attention to outcomes
page 33 Identify Funding Sources Early
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page 45 Summary of All Steps in the Launching of a Nursing
Career Lattice
page 46 Conclusion
page 47 Appendix
page 49 A. Overview of the Five CAEL/DOL Pilot Sites
page 52 B. Career Lattice Progressions
page 55 C. Apprenticeship
page 75 D. Distance Learning
page 79 E. Sample Forms
page 95 F. Outreach Materials
page 142 G. The Nursing Career Lattice Program in the News
xii
Executive Summary
Introduction
Nursing shortages, already critical in many regions across the country, are projected to
intensify over the next decade. Breakthroughs in science and technology, changes in the
structure of delivery systems and financing, and projected increases in the demand for
services are factors that are driving changes within our healthcare system and
stimulating job growth. In 2003, with a grant from the United States Department of
Labor (U.S. DOL), the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) developed
an education and training model to help address the current and projected nursing
shortages in the United States.
The CAEL/DOL Nursing Career Lattice Model is structured to respond to real needs
that employers are facing, accommodate workers’ needs as adult learners, and involve
participation from all stakeholders. CAEL has piloted the Nursing Career Lattice
Program in five diverse sites across the country: Houston, Chicago, Washington State,
the State of Maryland, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The last is the headquarters of
the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, which has made the program
available to facilities in 24 states and implemented it in eight. CAEL has found that the
model has broad applicability. The structure can be expanded to allied health tracks,
and the program addresses not only shortages, but many other key issues facing
healthcare employers such as enhancing quality of care, increasing staff diversity, and
improving retention and turnover rates.
This guidebook is designed to share details of the Nursing Career Lattice Model with
Workforce Investment Boards, employers, healthcare alliances, and colleges interested
in addressing healthcare challenges. We introduce the key components that comprise
the model, share important lessons from CAEL’s experience implementing it, and
outline steps for replication. This guidebook reflects our experiences as of June 2005,
almost two years into the project. We continue to gain new insights as the program
expands, and we invite you to contact us.
1
§ Recruiting participants from broad sources. The model encourages entry into
nursing7 roles by both incumbent workers and new hires. One target population is
non-clinical employees of the healthcare organization. Reaching out to both
traditional and non-traditional sources increases the number of individuals who can
be recruited into nursing. Such outreach can also encourage individuals with diverse
backgrounds to consider and enter this field.
§ Training approaches to meet the needs of working adults. One common obstacle that
keeps adults from advancing in healthcare careers is the need to continue making a
living while earning new credentials. Two learning strategies that reduce this and
other barriers are apprenticeships and distance learning. Both approaches, as
applied in the CAEL/DOL model, help adult learners balance school with work and
other responsibilities, allow employees to continue to earn a salary while pursuing
learning, and incorporate flexible scheduling. By doing so, these approaches promote
participation in learning and advancement, which helps support increased staff
diversity, leads to better quality of care, and helps improve staff retention.
Apprenticeship programs combine didactic education with hands-on experiential
learning and give recognized, portable certificates to graduates. Pilot site employers
have implemented apprenticeship at the CNA level and are developing it at the LPN
level as well. Distance learning is a format that allows students to pursue studies
in sites remote from instructors and/or at times convenient to students’ own
personal and work schedules. The CAEL model promotes distance learning at
the RN level through online didactic instruction, which is combined with a local
clinical component.
§ Workplace supports for trainees. While apprenticeship and distance learning begin
to address the barriers that often keep adults from advancing in health careers,
other supports are needed as well. For example, some sites offer on-site instruction,
provide remediation courses to help participants develop the skills they need to
enter a program, and identify sources of funding to help employees cover tuition
costs. In Houston, for example, over 70% of enrollees have accessed some type of
public funding to support their participation in the program.
7 While the demonstration projects emphasized the nursing professions, the lattice model is flexible and can be adapted for
allied health as well.
2
of Nursing Career Lattices. Employers, after all, are the ones ultimately providing
the jobs and the career advancement opportunities. Their need for new sources of
employees – particularly at the higher skill levels – is what drives the entire
program. For example, SunBridge Healthcare Corporation in Washington State
has focused on enhanced CNA training, while the University of Chicago Hospitals
and Health System in Illinois has chosen to concentrate on preparing staff to
become RNs.
§ Collaboration and partnerships in the broader community. In each pilot site, the
model has been created and implemented through partnerships among
organizations committed to assuring an adequate supply of skilled healthcare
workers in their communities. These partners are essential both for establishing the
programs and for sustaining the initiatives over time. Collaboration is formalized
through local advisory committees whose members represent the various
stakeholder organizations. Key partners at each site include employers, Workforce
Investment Boards, colleges, and the local DOL Offices of Apprenticeship Training,
Employer and Labor Services (OATELS). State Boards of Nursing, professional
associations, and healthcare alliances can also play important roles.
§ Multiple funding partners. The program uses two types of funding: project funds and
participant funds. Partners should work both individually and collectively to identify
sources of funding they can offer, in-kind contributions they can make, and grants
they can apply for.
§ Support consistent and constant communication from the outset about program
goals and purpose. During all phases of the project, publicize the initiative, its goals,
and its strengths in order to attract partners and participants. CAEL has also found
that it is very important to offer consistent and clear descriptions of what the model
is – and what it is not. In particular, many health care providers are surprised when
they hear the word “apprenticeship.” They think of an antiquated, unprofessional
training system that will diminish the quality of nursing education. Apprenticeship
could not be further from that image. It is a flexible, competency-based training
model that allows apprentices to move through a program at their own pace,
benchmark the achievement of each set of core competencies, and build a portfolio of
skills and interim credentials that validate the acquired skill levels. Additionally,
3
the related instruction is articulated with many two- and four-year colleges, allowing
apprentices to work towards a degree.
§ Identify the site coordinator early in the process. The site coordinator plays many
crucial roles in launching, customizing, and sustaining a Nursing Career Lattice
Program. CAEL has found that momentum really begins to develop once the site
coordinator is hired, and for that reason strongly recommends that putting a site
coordinator in place should be one of the first priorities.
§ Find willing and eager partners. To ensure the long-term success of the program,
determine who in your area is already seeking new solutions to healthcare
challenges. These individuals and groups can understand the value of the initiative.
As such, they are potential champions of and important allies for the lattice program
and are more likely to be able to make the necessary commitments of both time and
resources. Think creatively about how the model can address the strategic priorities
of these organizations.
§ Win executive level support for the Nursing Career Lattice initiative. The
executives’ vision for and promotion of the initiative encourage others to move the
project forward, and so support from the top is critical to secure early in the process.
Leaders also have the power to allocate needed resources. Support at the very top of
an organization allows a program to continue despite setbacks such as the departure
of key staff.
§ Focus initially on the nursing roles with great potential for impact. Healthcare
employers are likely to say that they have a number of critical workforce shortages.
In such a situation, the best place to start is the position with the greatest
opportunity for impact, and in the demonstration projects this invariably turned out
to be the CNA positions. CAEL worked with the Paraprofessional Healthcare
Institute to develop enhanced CNA specialties and incorporate soft skills into the
CNA curriculum. Beginning implementation with the CNA level enabled programs
to demonstrate some results quickly, which was helpful in creating momentum and
building local excitement, making expansion of the project to other positions an
easier sell.
§ Prepare for success. Employee response to outreach may quickly exceed your
expectations. At CAEL’s pilot sites, healthcare employers have been pleasantly
surprised by the extent of their own employees’ interest in internal educational
opportunities. For many incumbent workers, the Nursing Career Lattice Program
is the first time they have been invited to consider not just a job, but a career
in healthcare.
§ Pay attention to outcomes. Healthcare employers have specific objectives for their
career lattice initiatives, and therefore it is important to be able to show them that
the program is meeting those goals. Data can also be useful for sharing with
organizations that are considering implementing the initiative. In the demonstration
sites, CAEL and the site coordinators have worked closely with the various partners
to establish a tracking system to monitor progress.
4
§ Identify funding sources early. Funding for the program and the site coordinator will
help embed the model locally, enabling it to accomplish its long-term objectives.
Identifying sources of funding for enrollees will help recruit participants, and the
funds will help the participants succeed.
These lessons have guided us in our process of implementing and embedding the
Nursing Career Lattice Program. They also underlie the steps for replicating the model
that we outline below.
§ Planning
§ Implementation
§ Ensuring ongoing success
The full text and appendix of the guidebook provide additional detail and explanation of
each of the steps, along with a number of sample materials to use as models.
2. Educate others about how nursing career lattices can help address nursing
shortages. Develop marketing materials for distribution and schedule meetings with
key stakeholders.
4. Identify a site coordinator. The sooner a site coordinator is identified, the shorter the
timeframe for engaging partners and implementing projects.
5. Keep people informed about your progress. Find ways to keep stakeholders updated
in all phases of the project.
5
2. Learn about employers’ unique workforce needs. Identify the needs, their scope, and
existing programs. Use this information to construct the business case for
implementation.
3. Lay the groundwork for the career lattice approach. Explain the concepts behind the
model, talk through concerns, and share information on how other healthcare
employers have used the program.
4. Reach an agreement with the employer to proceed. Formalize the agreement with a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
2. Design a program to meet the employer’s needs. Identify the focus of the program,
determine employee interest, assess barriers and resources, and identify appropriate
training providers.
3. Inform and engage employees in training. Publicize the program widely and explain
it clearly in information sessions, using materials that are specifically geared to the
various target populations. Be sure to involve current nursing staff and supervisors
in the planning and execution of these activities.
4. Screen and register participants. The enrollment process should be streamlined and
easily understood by all candidates. It should include attention to skill assessments
as well as to the individual’s eligibility for available financial resources. You may
need to refer participants to remedial training where appropriate, and you may need
to help them find funding. When available, tuition assistance from employers will
cover some expenses, but employees may also be eligible for a variety of other
funding sources including WIA funds.
5. Implement training. During training, the site coordinator and the advisory
committee continue to play key roles by providing feedback and monitoring progress.
6
2. Determine how expansion can be customized to support each employer. Revisit
program design and customize the program to the employers’ remaining workforce
challenges.
4. Share your experiences. Reach out to others in the healthcare industry within your
community and state to recruit new partners, funders, and champions. This
outreach can also help to generate positive publicity for existing partners.
Conclusion
Created as a response to critical shortages of skilled workers, the Nursing Career
Lattice Model is a collaborative, flexible framework for building integrated pathways of
advancement that attract, develop, and retain talented workers in healthcare careers.
This employer-driven model is promising because it responds to real needs that
employers have, such as filling critical vacancies and increasing workforce diversity,
while at the same time addressing workers’ needs as adult learners. CAEL’s experience
implementing this model in five diverse pilot sites can be helpful to others who are
interested in developing innovative responses to key issues in healthcare.
For further information on the Nursing Career Lattice Model, please contact
Phyllis Snyder at (215) 731-7160 or psnyder@cael.org.