St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion is a 210-bed skilled nursing community in Lewiston that offers long-term care, a memory care unit, and a rehabilitation center. The community is well-known for providing exemplary care with genuine compassion. It also faces some of the same staffing challenges that many other healthcare employers do — a shortage of certified nursing assistants (CNAs).

Michael Hunter, d’Youville Pavilion’s clinical recruiter, says, “In order to draw and retain clinical support staff, we have had to think out of the box and be creative. By launching our Earn While You Learn program, we’ve made an investment in students. It has been successful because it is a win-win arrangement.”

The Earn While You Learn CNA Training Program is taught by Therese St. Pierre, RN, who has been a course instructor for nearly 25 years. It is an intensive five-week course that prepares students for Maine’s CNA state certification exam. Classes are held three to four days per week depending on the curriculum being covered, and students are paid $15 per hour. Once students earn their certification, they become full-time employees, their pay increases to $22 per hour, and they fulfill their commitment to work at d’Youville Pavilion for one year.

"The best part about this training is that I was paid while I was learning. I don't know how I could have done it otherwise. The material was challenging, however, we all worked as a team, and our instructor kept us on track,” says Dakota Alford, a recent graduate of the program. "The staff and patients are friendly and helpful. It was nice to get to know them because I’ll be working alongside them when I earn my certification.”

“It’s a distinct advantage for students to complete their classwork and clinical training onsite while being paid for their time,” adds Hunter. “Of course, it is equally advantageous for d’Youville Pavilion to have students we have taught and trained, who are familiar with the facility and have gotten to know our residents before they become full-time employees.”

If you or someone you know is interested in a healthcare career, this program may be a practical option. To date, two Earn While You Learn sessions have been held with a 100% graduation rate. Applications for the upcoming session are now being accepted.