PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Center for Nursing Excellence strengthens preceptor program WELLSTAR CENTER FOR NURSING EXCELLENCE Nurses find new ways to attract students and team members interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise. Clinical preceptors bring classroom knowledge to the clinical environment. They are essential to advancing nursing education and building the nursing workforce to meet high demand. A grounded orientation period with dedicated preceptors helps students and staff feel safe and confident in their learning environment. Unfortunately, the supply of qualified preceptors is decreasing nationwide as experienced nurses retire or leave the profession. Wellstar is countering this trend by providing preceptor training and resources for team members interested in stepping into the role. The current program offered by the Center for Nursing Excellence (CNE) has been enhanced with more virtual classes and in-person bootcamps—24 of these attracted 267 participants in fiscal year 2024. Another change is facility-based, train-the-trainer classes for nurse professional development practitioners. A Preceptor Advisory Council meets monthly to track progress and provide support. Wellstar currently offers a $2.00/hour premium for hours spent precepting by registered nurses,
FY24 PCCA Grads: 14
42 received Certified Nursing Assistant certification 8 became Certified Medical Assistants
certified as Patient Care Technicians
6 enrolled in pre-med programs
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Paulding high school students get a jump-start on healthcare careers WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM Students get practical experience and earn academic credit as part of an exciting community partnership. Mentoring and guiding the next generation of healthcare professionals is critically important to Wellstar Health System and the communities we serve. Since 2022, Wellstar has partnered with the Paulding College & Career Academy (PCCA) on a pathway program that allows Paulding County School District high schoolers to get hands-on experience in healthcare as they prepare for roles in nursing support and other areas. Students enrolled in the career program can choose from tracks in healthcare, cybersecurity, energy and mechatronics. In addition to their coursework, students on the healthcare track do their clinicals at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. Upon completion of the program, participants receive both high school and college credit from Chattahoochee Technical College. A strong, ongoing partnership between Wellstar and the Paulding County School District is helping young people discover their future direction and helping to shape the future of healthcare. n
and a $1.00/hour premium for preparation by nursing support personnel. The CNE looks forward to continuing this important work, shifting to local preceptor communities within Wellstar hospitals and encouraging the participation of more preceptors across the System. n
25 bootcamps held with a total of 267 attendees in FY24
23 | 2024 NURSING REPORT
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