Continuing Education: A Focus on Lifelong Learning
We offer programs to support continued learning through many comprehensive virtual, live, simulation and established on-the-job training programs.
Excellence: Achieving an 80 percent Bachelor's Prepared Workforce
At more than 3 million in number, nurses make up the single largest segment of the health care workforce and spend the greatest amount of time delivering patient care as a profession. The hallmark Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine's Future of Nursing Report explores how nurses’ roles, responsibilities and education should change to meet the future increased demand for care in the American health system.
As part of the findings of this report, the report recommends that the nursing profession should increase the percentage of nurses who attain a bachelor’s degree to 80 percent. In response to the report, Sentara Nursing has set an aspirational goal to have 80% of our nursing workforce be bachelor's prepared. We are proud of our nurses and support their development and growth, including the opportunity to expand their education.
We offer various avenues to support academic progression to achieving a BSN including student loan forgiveness, tuition assistance, scholarships, college and university discounts, flexible staffing options, and informational sessions. As of September 2023, we're proud to report that 73.5% of our nurses have achieved their BSN.
You are also encouraged to boost your skills through our system preceptor and charge nurse training sessions. Access to robust on-demand platforms lets you continue to learn as you do on your own time.
Specialty Internships
We offer Internships for areas such as Critical Care, Labor and Delivery/Antepartum, Perioperative 101/Surgical Service and Emergency Department just to name a few of the areas.
Fuel Your Growth with Continuing Education
We believe ongoing education is the cornerstone of providing exceptional care to our communities. At Sentara, we encourage and support your pursuit of knowledge. Here are some of the tuition assistance and continuing education resources we offer:
- Sentara Development Institute: Access a diverse range of training and learning programs that empower you to enrich your personal and professional life.
- Educational Assistance Program: To help further your educational and career goals, all Full-Time and Part-Time employees will be eligible for up to $5,250 in tuition assistance per year with no waiting period! You can choose to enjoy this benefit or the Student Loan benefit each calendar year.
- Sentara Student Debt Program: Pay down your student loans faster! Sentara will pay $400 per month up to a lifetime maximum of $10,000 toward your student debt repayments. Full-time and Part-time colleagues are eligible for this benefit upon hire. You can choose to participate in the Sentara Student Debt Program or the Educational Assistance Program with Guild each calendar year.
- Guild – Tuition Reimbursement and Education Benefits: Guild is the Sentara Healthcare education benefit. All full-time and part-time employees are eligible. Access a catalog of learning programs that unlock possibilities with your Guild benefit through Sentara. The Guild benefit puts personal and professional evolution within reach. You may also take advantage of the Sentara Student Debt Program benefit each calendar year.
Examples of opportunities through Guild:
- 100% tuition paid for programs* such as RN to BSN, Radiology, and Respiratory Therapy
- 800+ programs from over 30 schools, colleges, and universities available in business, healthcare, technology, and more!
- Undergraduate and master's degrees, certificates, bootcamps, HS completion, college prep, and English language learning
- $5,250/year for tuition reimbursement for approved programs outside of the Guild catalog
- Mostly online classes with flexible start dates
Simulation: Real-World Scenarios in a Controlled Setting
To support our nurses who "learn by doing" our central and regional Simulation Centers offer a realistic, clinical environment, to allow participants to experience a representation of real events for the purpose of deliberate practice and learning in a controlled setting. These centers allow participants to engage in deliberate practice and experiential learning in a controlled environment. Our Simulation Nursing Professional Development nurses are registered nurses from diverse clinical backgrounds and use their expertise to assist groups in simulation development.