Lee Health offering paid training for nursing school candidates

Reporter: Emma Heaton Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News

Lee Health wants to pay you to go to school and get certified to be a nursing assistant before hiring you to work for the hospital system.

Lee Health is currently hiring candidates to become CNAs, people who are not yet certified but are interested in becoming certified nursing assistants. No experience is required.

It’s a three-for-one deal: Lee Health will pay for you to work there after paying for your hours in nursing assistant school and training you along the way. This is all happening because of a shortage of labor everywhere. At the end of the program, the trainee must pass a certification test (also paid for by Lee Health) before earning the title of a certified nursing assistant.

“We’re seeing individuals really who have always wanted to go to this program or through this program, always have wanted to provide that patient care experience and just haven’t had the resources to do it,” said Jennifer Thayer, manager of workforce planning and development for Lee Health. “So, there are no financial burdens on the employee, and they can just focus on that training and becoming the best CNA possible.”

Lee Health wants even those who may not be interested in health care to take a look at the opportunities available, as helping out those who need it most can prove a rewarding experience.

“There’s a known shortage of labor everywhere,” Thayer said. “And that is definitely inclusive of health care. This is a direct attempt to get people in great jobs, but also to build a pipeline so that we can have the health care workers we need for the patient care levels that we’re seeing, both locally and nationally. We just want individuals in the community to know that we’re here. And we’re looking for those committed to wanting to give a great patient experience.”

Lee Health says it is ensuring the safety of both the patients as well as the employees that work bedside and beyond, taking seriously every precaution that is recommended by the CDC.

The program already has a good pool of applicants, but can always use more. To check out the career opportunities available, you can visit the Lee Health career website.

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