Finding qualified workers is a challenge facing companies and governments across the U.S. Northside Hospital has partnered with Georgia’s two-year college system to help prepare people for health care careers.
Northside and Chattahoochee Technical College have teamed up for about 15 years, according to Emily Kennedy, manager of clinical outcomes in surgical services at Northside. Kennedy is also a product of the partnership between Northside and Chatt Tech that allows students to get clinical experience at the hospital.
“Clinical experience is important because the students will receive hands-on education on how to perform the task of the role they are in,” Kennedy said. “Northside is able to hire the students after they graduate and know that they are more than capable of taking the best care of our patients.”
In addition to surgical services, radiologic technology, emergency medical services and nursing programs at Chatt Tech use Northside as a clinical location.
“The partnership between Northside Hospital and Chattahoochee Tech, along with other technical schools in the state of Georgia, is critical in that it allows students to gain real-life knowledge about what they are learning in the classroom,” said Dustin Cain, coordinator of quality and education in surgical services at Northside Hospital Cherokee.
“By hiring the students after they graduate, Northside is able to maintain the highest standard of care for our patients.”
Northside’s support of career programs is also shown at Gwinnett Technical College. The hospital recently donated $20,000 to the Gwinnett Tech Foundation to support students in the nursing and radiology programs.
Kim Anker, R.N., director of the Northside Hospital Foundation, recently made a personal $5,000 gift to the Gwinnett Tech Foundation to help fund nursing scholarships. Anker is a member of the Gwinnett Technical College board of directors.
“Northside really supports us with faculty members at their hospital, to help train our nursing students,” said Yvonne Durant, Ph.D., R.N., dean of nursing and life sciences at Gwinnett Tech.
“The collaboration we have, whether it’s medical/surgical or OB (obstetrics) or pediatrics or mental health or ICU (intensive care unit) or any special area, Northside supports us by giving us nursing employees who can actually train our students in the two years they’re here on campus.
“They are very supportive in that area.”
Gwinnett Tech faculty members pride themselves on the college’s work to help students find career placement after graduation.
“Our students really love Northside,” Durant said. “In fact, about 90% of students, when they graduate, take a job at Northside. It is really a great collaboration because not only do they mentor our students, they have nurse externs where our students are able to work at Northside when they are in school.”
Durant said the partnership even gives students exposure to professional conferences and other opportunities beyond the classroom and clinical settings.
“They get a lot of reference on how they can enhance their nursing skills and when they graduate, about 85(%) to 90% of our students, those who apply, go to work at Northside, and they come back and let us know about the great communication and relationship they had with Northside.”
Learn more about career opportunities at Northside.
