Golden View first in state to offer LPN Apprenticeship Program

MEREDITH — Golden View Health Care Center to be the first senior care facility in the state to offer an LPN apprenticeship program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor.

The 11-month program, which started on Sept. 6, with a full class, consists of 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 61 credit hours of related instruction. Apprentices will have the unique opportunity to work under a designated mentor and will be trained to competently complete LPN job duties in a skilled nursing facility.

“Programs such as this are of the utmost importance in sustaining access to our health care services for the citizens of the Lakes Region and New Hampshire as a whole,” said Golden View’s Administrator Rosemary Simino. “The LPN Apprenticeship Program helps our employees advance their careers and helps promote growth in our existing workforce. To be the first in the state to offer a program like this is such an honor.”

To make this groundbreaking program happen, Golden View partnered with the Healthcare Career Advancement Program and ApprenticeshipNH to develop a plan, and with LNA Health Careers for the apprenticeship’s educational component.

“The apprenticeship is broken into three semesters,” said Melissa Smith, the Nursing Programs Director for LNA Health Careers. “All of our general education courses are online, making them easily accessible to the apprentices. The courses are all focused on nursing. For instance, our psychology course is centered on nursing in mental health, and in our college composition course students learn about American Psychological Association formatting and nursing ethics.”

Apprentices through Golden View’s LPN Apprenticeship Program will receive pay increases as they complete program milestones. Those who successfully complete the apprenticeship may be offered continued employment with Golden View Health Care Center as LPNs. The program is designed to be flexible and accessible for the apprentices as they work and complete their on-the-job training.

“I worked my way up from being a licensed nursing assistant and understand the struggles students can have,” said Smith. “Our program was designed to support the students, immerse them in nursing, while still allowing them ample time to complete assignments. My favorite part is when you are able to see that the students understand what you just taught them — they get this little spark in their eyes.”

For those who are not ready to commit to an LPN apprenticeship or who are still working towards becoming a licensed nursing assistant, Golden View implemented a Pre-Apprenticeship Program in affiliation with Learn NH High School Apprenticeship to recruit resident service providers and LNAs to work in those roles prior to enrolling in the LPN Apprenticeship Program. The Pre-Apprenticeship Program is open to students 16-years-old and older.

“Programs like the Pre-Apprenticeship Program are also incredibly important for our long-term success,” said Simino. “These programs help reach the youth and prepare them to become the next generation of compassionate, dedicated and highly skilled health care service providers.”

To help offset the LPN Apprenticeship Program costs, ApprenticeshipNH offers grants to apprentices. Golden View also offers scholarship opportunities to help their employees who are interested in enrolling in the program. Golden View currently has three scholarship winners enrolled in the apprenticeship program.

Golden View medication nursing assistant Samantha Parent was awarded the Golden View Employee Scholarship and the Sanders Scholarship. LNA Tyler Lawrence was also awarded the Golden View Employee Scholarship and the Sanders Scholarship, and MNA Samantha Hurd was awarded the Sanders Scholarship.

The Sanders Scholarship, named in honor of its donors Ben and Jeanne Sanders, is exclusively for full-time Golden View employees with two consecutive years of employment who have been accepted and enrolled into an accredited school, college or program approved by the NH Board of Nursing in a field or service which Golden View provides to its residents and guests. i.e.: nursing, therapy, dining services, activities, social services, etc.

The Golden View Employee Scholarship was created to help advance the skills and education of Golden View’s workforce for the benefit of Golden View’s residents. Golden View participates in NH Gives each year to raise funds for the scholarship. Donors include the general public, Golden View Board Members, residents and rehabilitation guests, and families and friends of residents both past and present.

“With the cost of education out of reach for many, finding ways to help financially support potential apprentices is extremely important,” said Simino. “To continue to offer these crucial apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, we need the support and help from external stakeholders such as ApprenticeshipNH and the NH Sector Partnerships Initiative.”

Simino said that with the current staffing challenges healthcare communities are facing, continued support through the upcoming years will be essential to keeping educational programs like these running and to continue the recovery and stabilization of the Long-Term Care profession.

Both the Golden View Employee Scholarship and the Sanders Scholarship were established to assist full-time Golden View employees in advancing their careers in the healthcare field. The scholarships are awarded to employees like Parent, Lawrence and Hurd who have demonstrated dedicated service to the residents of Golden View and a commitment to the long-term care profession.

To learn more, visit lnahealthcareers.com.