BridgeValley Community and Technical College to take part In WVU Medicine Center’s new Aspiring Nurse Program

This fall, two community colleges in the Parkersburg and South Charleston areas will be part of a new initiative put forth by the WVU Medicine Center called The Aspiring Nurse Program. The program will launch this fall.

For many students, tuition support is already available in terms of scholarships, grants, and student loans. The Aspiring Nurse Program will provide those students taking part with up to $25,000 to be used on more immediate needs such as day-to-day life expenses. 

In an article posted on BridgeValley Community and Technical College’s website, Melanie Heuston, D.N.P., R.N., N.E.A.-B.C., Chief Nurse Executive for the WVU Health System, was quoted on the initiative as saying, “As the largest employer in West Virginia and serving communities in several other bordering states, we want to offer creative, comprehensive, and competitive opportunities to attract and retain the best nurses who will share our commitment for excellence in patient care. Our vision is to improve the quality of and access to care by increasing the pipeline of nurses.What we’ve heard from many students is that they are working two jobs to support themselves while they’re in school and are one flat tire away from having to drop out. The Aspiring Nurse Program will help to alleviate some of the financial stress the students are under so they can focus their time and energy on completing their education.”

The first group of students to participate in the initiative will be nursing students from BridgeValley Community and Technical Center in South Charleston and West Virginia University at Parkersburg. The clinical rotations will be held at WVU Medicine hospitals to provide students with top of the line hands on clinical experience that will provide them with knowledge and experience that they can use as they transition to full time practice. The WVU-Parkersburg students will be partnered with WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center, and BridgeValley students will be partnered with WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals. 

The students who are selected for the program will each receive $5,000 for each of the four semesters they are in the program, plus a $5,000 sign-on bonus once they are hired in exchange for a three-year commitment to work for their respective hospitals after they graduate. The schools and hospitals will support students both financially throughout the program, and through a human centered approach with access to retention specialists and academic success coaches.

Casey K. Sacks, Ph.D., president of BridgeValley, was quoted on the school’s partnership in the program, saying, “BridgeValley is thrilled to participate in the Aspiring Nurse Program with WVU Medicine. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students. Not all programs have the opportunity for learners to get paid while they are going to school. The Aspiring Nurse Program does just that: pays students to be students in the BridgeValley nursing program.”

The president of WVU-Parkersburg, Torie Jackson, Ed.D., was quoted on her school’s participation, as well, saying, “WVUP believes the most significant thing a community college can do is be a good community partner. When we collaborate with local businesses to meet their needs and, at the same time, provide amazing opportunities for students, then we are fulfilling our mission. We believe purposeful and planned training of a workforce will elevate the Mid-Ohio Valley and the entire state of West Virginia, and we are honored to partner with WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center.”

The Center for Nursing Excellence is continuing to work toward adding more partnerships in the southern portions of the state as well as the eastern and northern panhandles, with a planned targeted roll out to take place as early as January of next year.

More information about the WVU Medicine Aspiring Nurse Program can be found on the program's webpage, and more information about BridgeValley Community and Technical College can be found at the school’s website.