Potomac State College’s School of Nursing Keyser Campus joins the WVU Medicine Aspiring Nurse Program along with Potomac Valley Hospital
The Aspiring Nurse Program provides financial assistance to students while they work toward their degree in nursing. In exchange, the students commit to three years of employment within the WVU health system.
Potomac State College of West Virginia University has signed on two new participants to the Aspiring Nurse Program: the School of Nursing at the Keyser Campus and Potomac Valley Hospital. This means that nursing students at Potomac State College will soon be able to receive financial help to complete their degrees and then will have employment in their field at Potomac Valley Hospital.
According to an article on Potomac State College of West Virginia University’s website, Kendra Thayer, who serves as the Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Clinical Services at Potomac Valley Hospital and Garrett Regional Medical Center, was quoted as saying of joining the Aspiring Nurse Program, “We are anticipating that this program is going to have a very positive impact on our ability to recruit and retain new nurses. It’s so beneficial to have Potomac State here in Keyser; creating this partnership benefits the hospital, the college, and the students.”
The program is competitive, as it provides a huge benefit to the students who are selected. They will receive assistance paying for their degree, as well as a three-year commitment to be a nurse within a WVU health system hospital. Now that Potomac Valley Hospital has signed on to participate, it is eligible to review the candidates within the program and receive work commitment from the future nurses.
Dr. Tara Hulsey, Dean and Jane Martin Endowed Professor at the WVU School of Nursing, explained why this program is so beneficial for the communities served by the involved hospitals, saying, “The Aspiring Nurse Program is a direct response to supporting our hospitals in recruiting and retaining nurses. With the demand for nurses, especially in rural areas, we see this partnership with the Aspiring Nurse Program as an excellent opportunity to support both our health system hospitals and our students.”
Jessica Huffman, who is the Assistant Vice President of Clinical Services at WVU Medicine Center for Nursing Excellence, was quoted as saying of the importance of nurses in the healthcare system as a whole, and the specific importance of the Aspiring Nurses Program, “The role nurses play in the clinical setting is crucial to providing the best care possible. Working to ensure our hospitals have the nurses they need is in the best interest of the patient, the individual hospitals, and the hospital system overall. The Aspiring Nurse Program is an innovative approach to recruitment and retainment that we’re very excited about. It is already making a real difference.”
For more information about Potomac State College of West Virginia University, visit the school’s website.