PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — As The Aroostook Medical Center struggled to find certified nursing assistants (CNAs), who play a vital patient care role at both the hospital and the long-term and skilled care facility in Mars Hill, someone asked, “Why don’t we don’t we grow our own?”
That concept took root and led to the development of a unique pilot program that recently concluded with the graduation of four new CNAs.
TAMC partnered with SAD 42 Adult Education to offer an accelerated program that would last only seven weeks. Classes met daily, Monday through Friday, for the entire day. Because the schedule would not allow participants necessarily to work while completing the program, the hospital hired them as full-time, temporary employees and paid them an hourly wage during training.
Though CNA programs are typically geared toward the long-term care setting, for this TAMC-led course, work experience and training took place both in the acute hospital and the long-term care setting, preparing participants to work in either location.
The pilot program began in January and the graduation ceremony was held on March 16. Successfully completing the program were: Marissa Black of Easton, Bailey Getchell of Presque Isle, Kelsey Larrabee of Mars Hill, and Cintia Woods of Presque Isle.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better first class,” said Barbara Ireland, associate vice president of nursing. “These four women are all exceptional. Their excitement and enthusiasm has re-energized the administrators and nurses who have worked with them.”
That sentiment was echoed by Odette LaPointe, RN, the TAMC nurse educator who led the program.
“These four women exceeded our expectations as learners, and we are so proud of all the hard work and dedication they put into this experience,” she said. “It’s because of them we can say that this program was a success.”
“We all started this class for different reasons, but we all walked away with something more,” said Larrabee as she spoke during the ceremony on behalf of her class. “We learned about compassion and patience. Those we worked with accepted us and made us feel welcome.”
Larrabee explained that she grew up in a family where working in the medical field is a tradition, and she looks at this CNA training as a starting point for her ultimate goal of becoming a nurse. “This amazing opportunity was presented, and I ran with it,” she said.
Many times CNAs do have an ultimate goal of entering into nursing, and they are getting a great start down that career path by starting as a CNA, according to LaPointe.
“Being a CNA makes them a stronger candidate for nursing school. They are learning how to work as a team, building communications and life skills, and getting exposure to technology such as our computer charting system,” she explained. “Healthcare is an excellent career field. Not only is there long-term stability, since healthcare will always be needed, but it is also very rewarding on a personal level.”
The four graduates of this training program are all now certified in Maine. All have opted to stay on at TAMC. Two will work at the hospital in Presque Isle and two at the Aroostook Health Center in Mars Hill.
“When I was speaking to the group during a class, I was asked, ‘Why aren’t you requiring us to sign a contract to work here since you are paying to train us?’” recalled Ireland. “I told them it was because we want them to work here because they want to, not because they have to.”
Ireland said she was thrilled that they have all chosen to join the TAMC team.
With the success of this pilot program, the hospital intends to offer another session of the CNA training at the end of the summer.
