Marymount University’s Malek School of Nursing Professions has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia to launch its Earn to Learn Nursing Education Acceleration Program. This initiative is designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world clinical practice, accelerating nursing students’ readiness for the workforce.
The Earn to Learn Program will support traditional and accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) students. By integrating clinical experience, mentorship and part-time work, the program aims to enhance students’ skills and confidence. Participants will be able to work directly with expert nurses at VHC Health in Arlington, Va., where they will complete paid clinical hours and engage in mentorship sessions with nurse leaders from Marymount and VHC Health. Additionally, students can enroll in a nurse extern program, which offers academic credit and extra clinical hours during the summer before their senior year.
“Thanks to this grant from the Virginia Department of Health, we’re able to bridge the gap between classroom learning and clinical practice,” said Dr. Andrew Wolf, Director of Marymount’s Malek School of Nursing Professions. “The Earn to Learn Program is a significant step forward in preparing our nursing students to enter the workforce as confident, practice-ready professionals who can meet the growing demand for skilled nurses in Northern Virginia.”
The program aims to address several critical needs in the region. With a persistent national shortage of registered nurses (RNs) and a notable discrepancy in RN-to-resident ratios in Northern Virginia compared to the state average, the Earn to Learn Program seeks to increase RN enrollment and graduation rates locally. This effort is particularly timely, as VHC Health recently posted 152 RN job openings to support the opening of four new nursing units.
“VHC Health is proud to collaborate with Marymount University and provide an exceptional learning experience for students,” said Dr. Melody Dickerson, Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations & Chief Nursing Officer at VHC Health. “Together, we are nurturing future health care professionals and creating pathways to fulfilling careers at our thriving hospital, making a lasting impact on our community.”
In addition to increasing RN enrollment, the program will tackle the challenge of limited nursing faculty capacity. Virginia’s nursing schools have faced significant barriers in accepting qualified applicants due to insufficient faculty, preceptors, clinical sites and classroom space. By providing critical clinical faculty and preceptors, the program allows Marymount to expand its clinical education and support more nursing students.
The Earn to Learn Program also aims to enhance the diversity of Virginia’s nursing workforce. Marymount’s nursing program is notably diverse, with nearly 70 percent of students identifying as Hispanic, Black, Asian or mixed race. By producing more graduates who reflect the state’s population, the program will help address health care disparities and meet the needs of a diverse patient base.
Finally, the program will address the region’s pressing behavioral health needs. Northern Virginia has experienced a severe shortage of behavioral health providers, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will prepare students to contribute to VHC Health’s upcoming state-of-the-art behavioral health facility and improve mental health services in the community by including clinical rotations in behavioral health settings.
Dr. Theresa Gaffney, Associate Professor of Nursing at Marymount University and the project’s academic lead, highlighted the program’s dual impact.
“This program gives our students a head start in their nursing careers while also offering critical employment opportunities that benefit the region’s health care system,” Dr. Gaffney said. “By collaborating with VHC Health, we’re creating a pathway that ensures our graduates are fully prepared to deliver high-quality care from day one.”
More information on the Commonwealth’s Earn to Learn Program
