Community Howard to offer paid internships, employment to IUK nursing students
Apr. 25—To address its need for nurses, Community Howard Regional Health will provide financial assistance and guaranteed employment for select nursing students at Indiana University Kokomo.
The new partnership will allow nursing students at IUK to work as paid interns at Community Howard. The program is available to nursing students who are nearing graduation.
Students selected will complete required clinical hours while interning at Community Howard. They will receive $10,000 in tuition support during their final semester if they commit to work for the hospital for two years.
The main goal of the program, which will admit up to six students in the first year, is to create a pipeline of nurses for Community Howard.
"It is our number one priority," said Jamie Phillippe, vice president, chief nurse executive at Community Howard. "Nursing is our largest workforce."
Students will be paired with a nurse during their internship, who will serve as a mentor. They get their choice of department and will work as nurse technicians and patient care techs. There are also opportunities to sample multiple departments.
"It allows students to work while in nursing school ... and get a taste for different departments at Community Howard," Phillippe said. "I think this will give the students a nice added support network."
Hospital officials hope the added support makes the transition to full-time nursing easier. Phillippe said the first year of nursing is a lot of "survive and thrive," where some nurses don't last, due to a lack of social supports.
Community Health Network has a similar partnership in Indianapolis. Phillippe said students who completed the program are staying longer, due to those relationships.
"We're seeing a lot of downstream effects," she said.
Nurses who complete their internship will reduce their orientation by two to four weeks, which is also a money saver for Community Howard.
Susan Hendricks, dean of IUK's School of Nursing, said the financial assistance will benefit non-traditional students, such as those returning to school to get a degree in nursing.
These students usually have more need, as they likely used up their financial assistance the first time they went to college.
"We think this is a particularly great opportunity that can be opened up to second degree students," Hendricks said.
The local partnership comes at a time when there is a statewide shortage of nurses. The Indiana Hospital Network estimates there are 4,300 open nursing jobs each year and the state will need an additional 5,000 by 2031.
Community Howard has a similar agreement with Ivy Tech Kokomo. Nursing students at the local community college can complete clinical hours at the local hospital. Community Health Network will cover the tuition of these students and offer them full-time employment upon graduation.
Community Howard intends to accept IUK students each year. Phillippe said Friday that two students have already been accepted for internships.
"We absolutely hope this will take off," she said.
Spencer Durham can be reached at 765-454-8598, by email at spencer.durham@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @Durham_KT.
