Coinciding with National Nurses Day on May 6, Pahrump’s Desert View Hospital is launching a program called “Earn While You Learn.” Employees can earn a certified nursing assistant certificate while they work.
The program offers area residents the opportunity for full-time employment and a career pathway in hospital-based nursing.
Rural health care is its own nursing specialty, according to Bonnie Stolzman, chief nursing officer at Desert View Hospital in Pahrump.
“In a rural community, you get to know patients in the context of their community and their families, ” she said. “You take care of the whole family and in some cases, multiple generations of families that you see through birth, death and sometimes trauma.”
Stolzman said that there’s a continuity of care and a kind of gratification that’s very hard to find in larger urban settings.
“You are choosing to care for your family, friends, and area residents, knowing you have a solid team of coworkers but not all the advanced specialty medical services readily available in an urban setting, like Las Vegas,” her press release stated. “This means that our team is extra vigilant for the care our patients need, providing excellent clinical, compassionate health care while they are supported by an expert team of physicians, experienced nurses, registered respiratory therapists, and coworkers from imaging, laboratory and other areas to provide the best possible care to our patients.”
As Pahrump is a popular tourist destination, Stolzman noted that Desert View Hospital is comfortable dealing with the migrant snowbird populations in Southern Nevada.
Stolzman said that the Earn While You Learn program was created especially for area residents who are interested in a hospital-based nursing career.
Applicants who are accepted into the program will be hired full time into entry-level hospital positions and will be paid while they receive hospital sponsored Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training and attain their state CNA certification.
“They will then work full time as a CNA until they are eligible for Desert View Hospital’s tuition reimbursement program,” she said. “Interested CNAs will receive assistance applying for Great Basin College’s (GBC) registered nursing program along with tuition assistance, all while continuing to have a full-time position with full-time benefits.
“This means they will work full time as a CNA, receiving a full-time paycheck with benefits, while attending GBC,” explained Stolzman. “Once our employees earn their Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) degree with GBC and pass their national nursing certification (NCLEX) exam, they will be employed as a registered nurse, full time, at Desert View Hospital, based upon their previously agreed commitment.”
According to Desert View Hospital CEO Susan Davila, the hospital has met with students from Pahrump Valley High School, as well as several community members who are interested in a career in the health care field.
“There is so much talent in our community, we are hoping many recent high school graduates take advantage of our Earn While You Learn program,” Davila said.
Davila, who was raised in rural Montana and has worked for Desert View Hospital for 11 of its 16 years, said that she understands firsthand, the importance of rural health care.
Nursing opportunities include medical-surgical inpatient nursing care, emergency care, surgical and endoscopy services, and other opportunities that may arise.
Interested applicants can drop off a resume at the main entrance to the hospital or send an email requesting further information to: Bonnie.Stolzman@uhsinc.com.
All interested parties will be required to fill out an online application, background and personal interview.
Desert View Hospital offers emergency services, inpatient nursing care, surgical services and a variety of outpatient services, including physical therapy, wound healing, cardiopulmonary, imaging, and laboratory, according to the release.
To learn more, visit www.desertviewhospital.com.