WVU Medicine nurses make the difference

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU Medicine is joining the American Nurses Association (ANA) in celebrating National Nurses Week 2024 May 6-12, and throughout May. This year’s theme, “Nurses Make the Difference,” honors the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every healthcare setting. 

“National Nurses Week is the one week of the year that we take the time to sincerely thank the nurses for their tireless efforts on behalf of every patient who walks through our doors. They are truly the backbone of our Health System,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System, said. “We are incredibly grateful for our tremendous nursing staff not just this week but every week throughout the year.”

According to the ANA, registered nurses in the United States constitute the nation’s largest healthcare profession. Professional nursing is an indispensable component of the safety and quality of care of hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients, and the demand for registered nursing services will be greater than ever because of the aging of the American population, emerging health challenges, the continuing expansion of life-sustaining technologies, and the explosive growth of home healthcare services.

More qualified registered nurses are needed in the future to meet the increasingly complex needs of healthcare consumers in the community. In order continue to provide cost-effective, safe, and high-quality healthcare services, care provided by registered nurses will be an increasingly important component of the United States healthcare delivery system in the future.

To that end, WVU Medicine has launched a variety of programs and initiatives over the last two years to help grow, train, and retain its nurses:

• In 2022, Melanie Heuston, D.N.P., R.N., N.E.A.-B.C., was hired as the Health System’s first chief nursing executive to develop a more integrated and strategic approach to systems, processes, and tools to enhance nursing staff recognition, foster further collaboration, increase reliability and confidence, and improve performance.
• In June 2023, the WVU Medicine Center for Nursing Excellence launched its Aspiring Nurse Program, which provides associate degree students with up to $25,000 in financial support for a three-year work commitment. As of this month, Aspiring Nurse Programs are in place at 17 schools in West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. 
• In August 2023, WVU Medicine announced the expansion of its Clinical Advancement for Professional Excellence Program (CAPE), a nursing program designed to enrich professional development, provide a reward system for advancing clinical professional practice, promote quality nursing, and improve job satisfaction. This contemporary program, designed by nurses for nurses, is focused on rewarding, recognizing, retaining, and recruiting inpatient direct-care nurses throughout WVU Medicine. Nurses are rewarded and recognized for being charge nurses and precepting students and/or new employees. They are also recognized for elevating the voice of nursing on unit, hospital, or System-wide councils. Education and professional development are also recognized as ways to advance in the Program. 
• In March of this year, WVU Medicine announced its plans to establish the WVU Medicine Center for Nursing Education, a new, two-year nursing school directly affiliated with the WVU Health System and located at the WVU Innovation Corporation. The 21-month diploma program would serve as an alternative to traditional two-year nursing schools where students earn associate degrees. Students at the Center can anticipate an innovative approach to nursing studies and training with heavy clinical emphasis and hands-on learning opportunities in simulation and skill labs and, upon completion, will take the same licensing exams as two- and four-year nursing students.

“Hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country have been hit hard by the national nursing shortage, and WVU Medicine is no different. We’ve had to think outside the box to come up with ways to help develop the next generation of nurses for the state and region,” Heuston said.

“We are thrilled with the number of our current nurses who have advanced through the CAPE program over the past year. We are certain the Aspiring Nurse Program and our new nursing school are going make a difference in the number of nurses who can attend nursing school, which ultimately will improve the health of the residents in West Virginia and our surrounding communities. We look forward to even more growth in the months and years ahead.”

WVU Medicine is currently offering up to $15,000 for a sign-on bonus for hospital-based, direct-care nurses in return for a three-year work commitment in some locations. Terms and conditions apply. For more information, visit WVUMedicine.org/Careers.

For more information on WVU Medicine, visit WVUMedicine.org.