It’s not every day you get to practice using machinery on an instructor. But one recent afternoon, that’s exactly what two newly hired Temporary Nurse Aides (TNAs) got to do while going through their 20-hour training courses at Virginia Health Services’ EEE Center.
The trainees were paired up with two seasoned VHS Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) as they lifted instructor Nora Gillespie out of bed, into a wheelchair and then back into bed. The training was done at the Employment, Enrichment and Education (EEE) Center in Newport News, where Virginia Health Services onboards and trains new employees.
The hands-on experience allowed the TNAs to ask questions, experience the equipment and see how to avoid pitfalls, such as accidentally letting a patient’s head or legs bang into the lift.
“If you let my feet hit there,” Nora said, pointing to the equipment’s base while swinging in the sling during the transfer lesson, “I have fragile skin, I bruise. And I’m going to let you know it.”
“It’s why this takes two people,” Erica Donaldson said. She has been with Virginia Health Services for 21 years and is a CNA at Northampton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She also is now a Senior Ambassador, which means she will help oversee TNAs at her facility for two weeks before they acquire a full patient load.
Instructor Nora Gillespie, center, works with (clockwise) Koreen Hill, Erica Donaldson, Olympia Stephens and Tracy Moore during a recent training sessions at Virginia Health Services’ EEE Center in the Port Warwick area of Newport News.
The Ambassador program was launched to reward seniority and help develop training and communication within the facilities and across VHS.
Erica and Tracy were helping Nora train Olympia Stephens and Koreen Hill. Olympia will join Erica at Northampton and Koreen will join the team at Coliseum Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
“I love what we’re learning,” Koreen said.
Nora said the program has given long-time CNAs a chance to see what new hires are learning, which can better prepare them to train them on the floor and what areas to work with them on to improve their skills.
“It’s good when the staff comes in to participate and give their insight,” she said.
Transition to apprenticeship program
To help fill staff vacancies at nursing home facilities in Virginia, then-Gov. Ralph Northam allowed the hiring of Temporary Nurse Aides.
The goal is to get new hires trained and on the floor quickly, in addition to providing them with a facility mentor who will help shepherd new hires into the apprenticeship program. The earn-as-you learn apprenticeship covers the cost of a five-week training course that develops Care Assistants to Nurse Aides. The program also covers the cost of the certification exam to be a CNA.
The 20-hour training program is “intense and condensed,” Nora said.
She says Virginia Health Services is showing through the program that it is investing to help the facilities staff properly. The TNAs are a “tremendous advantage,” she said. It’s also a stepping stone for the full CNA apprenticeship class.
“It’s a win-win,” Nora said.
Visit our Careers page and apply for the Care Assistant program today to join Virginia Health Services and be part of a team where training and experience are valued.
Senior Ambassadors teach new temporary nurse aide hires how to lift instructor Nora Gillespie from the bed to a wheelchair and back into bed. It’s part of a 20-hour training course new hires receive before going on the floor at Virginia Health Services’ seven nursing and rehabilitation centers. They will be paired with an Ambassador for two weeks before receiving a full patient load and be qualified to join the earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program that develops Care Assistants to CNAs.
The seventh cohort of Virginia Health Services apprentices graduated Friday at The Arbors Independent Living community. The group began its earn-as-you-learn training program in January.
The program includes classroom and clinical instruction to graduate Care Assistants to Nurse Aides.
The VHS education staff will help schedule review sessions and certification exams for them to become CNAs.
Instructor Princess Henderson congratulates the seventh cohort of apprentices for graduating the program. It was Henderson’s first solo class.
This was instructor Princess Henderson’s first full-time class. Henderson transitioned from Assistant Director of Nursing at Coliseum to a trainer and coordinator role on the education team for Virginia Health Services.
Virginia Health Services President and CEO Mark Klyczek opened Friday’s graduation.
“This is just a start in a career in healthcare for you,” he told the graduates. “There are opportunities within healthcare and within VHS for you to grow, to grow for yourselves and your families. Take advantage of those opportunities.”
The graduates
The eight graduates were members of Henderson’s first solo class. Instructor Nora Gillespie co-taught a few days during the session, telling the graduates: “Personally, I was impressed in just a few days with you.”
Valedictorian Courtney Sands is congratulated by Vice President of Nursing Rebecca Boyd and CEO Mark Klyczek.
Henderson introduced each graduate and they were awarded certificates of completion. The graduates are: Fatiqah Atkins, Dasha’ Diggs, Sabita Khadka, Laurinda Palmer-Yearby, Courtney Sands (valedictorian) Shontay Screven, Melissa Tanner and Valentina Zakieva (salutatorian).
Palmer-Yearby received Henderson’s “Heart Award,” given to the student who showed the most improvement throughout the class. Tanner was the recipient of the “Clinical Award” because of her positivity on the floor and being the only apprentice serving on one of James River’s units.
Henderson called Zakieva her “ball of energy. None of us moved fast enough for you!”
And while Sands was quiet, Henderson said you knew she was paying attention because she got the highest grades in the class.
“I want to thank my classmates for all the team work we had and wish everyone success in their future,” Sands said in her brief valedictorian speech.
“This class was difficult to get going because of COVID and snowstorms,” Henderson said. “It was my first solo class. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive, wonderful group.
“I’m so proud of you all.”
What’s next
The graduates were joined by family members and friends for the ceremony and reception afterward. There were lots of hugs and congratulations shared over cake.
The apprentices will begin next week as Nurse Aides in their respective nursing and rehabilitation centers.
“They’ll enhance our staffing,” Gillespie said.
The class celebrated their graduation over cake with family and friends at The Arbors Independent Living in Newport News.
Virginia Health Services apprenticeship program
The VHS earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program is part of the Healthcare Apprenticeship Extension Program, which is partially funded by a grant from the Department of Labor.
The apprenticeship program covers the cost of the course and clinical work, and the cost of the exam. The program is expanding to include pathways in dietary and housekeeping.
The sixth cohort of Virginia Health Services apprentices graduated Tuesday at The Arbors at Port Warwick. The group began its earn-as-you-learn training program in early November.
The program includes classroom and clinical instruction to graduate Care Assistants to Nurse Aides.
Tuesday’s eight graduates will work in Virginia Health Services nursing and rehabilitation centers at York and Northampton.
The education staff will help schedule review sessions and certification exams for them to become CNAs.
“You guys are sending me off on the best possible note,” she told the graduates.
Nikkya Cohens delivers her valedictorian remarks with the support of her classmates and instructor Nora Gillespie.
The graduates
Gillespie, as she has for the previous five graduations, spoke in superlatives about the students to friends and family in attendance.
She told the graduates she is proud of them, and that they demonstrated to her they have a willingness to do what it takes in the role.
“These women had each other’s backs,” she said. “They helped each other get across the finish line.”
Gillespie called valedictorian Nikkya Cohens a “role model” in awarding her a certificate.
“I’ve never met a bunch of women that allow me to be me. Women can be challenging to be around in large numbers and they were not that. They were supportive and extremely funny and that’s a value I always cherish. They ooze camaraderie in every sense of the word. Their spirit stays with me after class,” Cohens said in her valedictorian remarks.
Brittany Hodges gets a hug from instructor Nora Gillespie during the graduation ceremony Dec. 7, 2021.
VHS Vice President of Operations Don Lundin delivered opening remarks, saying Virginia Health Services is glad to be a part of their education and career journeys.
“This is the beginning, the first step,” he said.
Gillespie, who has likened the program to “CNA bootcamp,” explained that there are 14 tests and 22 skills the students learn over the five-week span.
“You nailed 22 skills,” she told the graduates, “and I couldn’t be more proud.”
She calls CNAs the foundation of long-term care. Their role means they interact most with Residents and are the eyes and ears for the nursing staff on the floor.
“To do the job, you have to heart and compassion,” she said. The students’ “first intent was to bring joy when you entered a Resident’s room.”
The class could be found wiping their eyes any number of times during the ceremony.
“I always make people cry,” Gillespie said.
The graduates were: Cohens, salutatorian Josie Wood, Giavanni Bailey, Brittany Hodges, Quentisha Norvell, Hope Overton, Shayla Shupin and Tomeka Williams.
“You can change a life, you can touch a life,” Gillespie said.
VHS apprenticeship program
The VHS earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program is part of the Healthcare Apprenticeship Extension Program, which is partially funded by a grant from the Department of Labor.
Apprenticeship students are brought on as Care Assistants and spend about 30 days working in a VHS nursing and rehabilitation center before coursework and clinicals begin. Following completion of the classes, students then return to work at a facility and undergo review sessions to prepare for the state certification exam to become a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
The apprenticeship program covers the cost of the course and clinical work, and the cost of the exam. It also provides the benefit of Family Scholarship House, which can offer resources and funds to help cover academic coaching, affordable housing, transportation, child care, emergencies and more. It is available to those in the HAEP grant program at no additional cost.
The VHS apprenticeship program recently expanded to include pathways in dietary and housekeeping.
National Apprenticeship Week is Nov. 15-21. Virginia Health Services used the week to highlight graduates from the Care Assistant to Nurse Aide earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program.
The apprenticeship includes paid training and covers the cost of the state certification exam to be a CNA.
The program has had five classes graduate this year, with a sixth cohort currently in progress. Students get about a month of paid classroom and clinical training, and VHS employs graduates in our nursing and rehabilitation centers following graduation.
The success of the program has led to Virginia Health Services developing a full Career Advancement Program (CAP) to grow its workforce in culinary and environmental services as well with additional paid training and leadership development.
This week, current employees in culinary and environmental services were invited to partake in the program.
Virginia Health Services participates in the Healthcare Apprenticeship Expansion Program (HAEP), which is funded with a Department of Labor grant. The apprenticeship offers paid, on-the-job training.
Our graduates
Michael Polite, James River
Michael Polite is a Nurse Aide at James River Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center. He started in environmental services at James River, then enrolled in the apprenticeship program.
He says he was drawn to senior care after helping care for his grandmother.
The September graduate is studying for the state boards, and is confident he’ll pass because of his training with VHS instructor Nora Gillespie. The training program includes classwork and learning 22 clinical skills.
“You use everything she teaches you,” he said of his daily routine. “She really emphasizes dignity and respect, and so if I can put a smile (on a Resident’s face), when I walk out of the room, I feel like I’ve done my job.”
Hotop, the class salutatorian, said being in the program made her realize she wants to be in healthcare.
“I think what really stood out was clinical (skills on the floor),” Hotop said. “and just how happy everybody was with our care and the way they are doing. And the patients were just motivating us throughout the whole process. I think that made me feel good. I want to be here, it made me want to do it. And definitely having the help from one another.”
Campbell and Hotop bonded fast in class and now as coworkers. They rely on one another during shifts and like working together. Both say they can hear instructor Nora Gillespie’s voice in the back of their minds, encouraging them and walking them through all the steps they learned in class.
Both say they feel supported in their roles at The Newport. Campbell and Hotop said their CNA training has them interested in pursuing nursing career paths as an LPN or RN.
“It’s all worth it,” Hotop said.
Donae Mcdonald, York
Donae Mcdonald is a Nurse Aide at York Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center. She was in the fifth cohort and graduated in October.
It was the earn-as-you-learn paid training that Mcdonald said drew her to the opportunity. She is exploring nursing school options, and enrolled in pre-requisite classes with Thomas Nelson Community College.
She says the apprenticeship program is “a great opportunity because at first you are here (as a Care Assistant) and shadowing a Nurse Aide, and I feel like at that point you can see if there’s something that is beneficial for you.”
Instructor Nora Gillespie said she was like bubbles and champagne, with her positivity just radiating out toward the Residents she worked with on the floor during clinicals.
She’s still bubbly now, having passed her certification exam and fulfilling a dream decades in the making. After spending more than 10 years housekeeping in hospitality, she is working in senior care as a CNA.
“I have wanted to do this forever, but I never could afford to not get paid 4-to-6 weeks taking a class. There wasn’t a program like this,” she said.
She also has a little seasoning now, and with experience comes perspective. She likes working with current students who are working on their clinical skills at York. She likes helping the Care Assistants learn the ropes.
And Turner knows empathy is key to doing the job well. “I just try to find ways not to make (the Residents) feel so bad (about not being able to do things for themselves),” she said. “It’s why I’m here!”
Turner said the program, particularly the instruction provided, is a great way to start in healthcare.
“I just love it!” she says.
Culinary and EVS apprentices
This week, we invited team members in our culinary and environmental services departments to participate in paid training and leadership development as part of VHS’ expanding Career Advancement Program. Team members from Coliseum, James River and corporate fill out the first field of apprentices in those areas.
Culinary cohort from Coliseum with the dietary team
Environmental services cohort from corporate excited to be apprentices!
Environmental services cohort from corporate
Culinary cohort from James River with leadership
Apprenticeships available
A career in healthcare could be the right fit for you, too. Learn more about Virginia Health Services’ career opportunities at vahs.com/heroes.
Virginia Health Services’ apprenticeship program, which graduates Care Assistants to eventual Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs), is undergoing a transition in instructors.
The VHS education team is adding instructor Princess Henderson, who has been with the company since 2008.
She is being guided on the ins and outs of the apprenticeship class by instructor Nora Gillespie, who after a career in nursing and education, is retiring.
Well, semi-retiring. Gillespie says she’ll be focused on education for VHS two days a week.
Ann Armstrong, who instructed the apprenticeship classes on the Middle Peninsula, also is leaving. She joins Rappahannock Community College as an instructor for their Nurse Aide program and will lead instruction for their clinical LPN and RN programs.
That means she won’t be far – the LPN and RN programs train at VHS’s Walter Reed Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Gloucester.
The coursework was revamped earlier this year by Gillespie and Armstrong based on the state’s criterium changes. Gillespie refers to it as a “bootcamp.”
The students have to go through pages of presentations, tests and learn 22 clinical skills, such as how to take blood pressure and wound care.
The fifth apprenticeship class is slated to graduate Oct. 26, with the sixth class to start Nov. 1. It will be the last group of apprentices for the year – another class is slated to start in January.
This class
Armstrong’s final day with VHS was Oct. 14. Her students in this fifth cohort completed their coursework and clinicals, working while awaiting graduation.
The 11 students enrolled at Walter Reed and at the EEE Center in Newport News will work as Nurse Aides at James River, Coliseum and Walter Reed while completing their certification exam reviews to become CNAs.
Virginia Health Services’ fifth cohort of CNA apprentices graduates Oct. 26, 2021. There were three students at Walter Reed Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center in this cohort.
“They’ve been great,” Armstrong said of her three students. “I’ve learned a lot from them, that’s for sure.”
Teaching is getting to know someone. “I wanted them to succeed, and they have,” Armstrong said.
“It’s amazing to see when someone comes here with no (clinical) knowledge, then they leave this classroom with the skills. Amazing to see someone learn; to see that lightbulb go off.”
Armstrong has been a nurse for 23 years, and an instructor since 2017. She joined VHS about a year ago from Riverside.
Her advice to students, current and future: “Study. Be open. Healthcare is ever changing. Be open to change. Do the right thing every time. You do that, you cannot make a mistake.”
Teaching the course during the COVID-19 pandemic has meant adjusting, Gillespie said. Infection prevention is covered on the first day, and that now includes emphasis on COVID and the proper way to wear the additional layers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Students are tested regularly and encouraged to be vaccinated. They come into class with familiarity, having learned to navigate the precautions in their buildings while working the floor as Care Assistants.
The future
The sixth class will be led by Henderson.
Henderson has been with VHS since 2008, and she took the course then while pregnant to become a CNA.
“It’s a lot different!” she said.
Princess Henderson is learning how to teach the apprenticeship class from instructor Nora Gillespie. Virginia Health Services’ fifth cohort of CNA apprentices graduates Oct. 26, 2021.
“The program has evolved. It’s come out of the ‘Dark Ages.’ It’s so much better and easier to understand. … I did it back when you had to pay for the class.”
How the course material is presented and how clinical skills are taught are “more effective,” Henderson said.
“She’s a role model,” Gillespie said.
Henderson became an RN, moving up through the ranks with Virginia Health Services to become Assistant Director of Nursing at Coliseum. Her career has been dedicated to long-term care with VHS. She worked at James River and the team worked with her as she went through nursing school to help schedule her shifts with her classes.
“I’m glad to be with VHS,” she said. “They really worked with me, and I plan to stay with them as they work with me to meet my goals.”
One of those goals has been to go into education. She views Gillespie as the role model.
“I strive to be as inspirational and firm as her,” Henderson said. “Firm but fair.”
“My goal truly is for her is not to need me, because then I’ve done my job,” Gillespie said.
Words of wisdom
While Henderson’s addition is a win for the education team, the departures of Gillespie and Armstrong sting.
They built out the current program with Director of Education Bryanna Rhodes earlier this year, and both have been instructors for several years.
“I can tell them a whole bunch of stuff,” Armstrong said of teaching students information off PowerPoint slides, “But I also can give them the real-life experience. … People can relate better when you make it reality.”
While Armstrong handled teaching in-services and more at Riverside, Gillespie helped her feel at ease with the material when she joined Virginia Health Services.
“Nora is a great instructor, she’s the real deal,” Armstrong said. “She’s awesome at what she does. I hate to see her go. She is one of the best instructors I have ever seen teach this class.”
But Gillespie is ready to retire – if for no other reason than to not have to wake up at 4:30 a.m.
She says that with a grin, though. Gillespie became a nurse in the 1970s. She worked in critical and acute care, including on a Nightingale air ambulance.
“That was the best,” she said. “I still have my combat boots.”
Gillespie said she is content passing the torch to Henderson.
“In my career, I know I have saved lives. In teaching, I know I have touched lives. And I am good with that,” she said.
Part of her hand-off to Henderson is helping her understand all that is involved in teaching the class – its organization, flow, schedule and timing.
It’s also helping her learn to be an instructor, looking for that spark to ignite someone to learn a skill or grasp material. It’s helping Henderson feel comfortable on being flexible to the needs of the class and being able to adjust to help students “get it.”
Gillespie has spent seven years teaching this class. “It’s a part of me,” she said. “The program is very important to me, and I see tremendous benefit in this program. VHS is committed to it.”
“Princess shares my desire to bring out the best of students,” Gillespie said. “Princess is open, friendly, she has a smile that lights up a room and a grasp of what to do.”
Henderson appreciates having Gillespie train her.
“She’s involving me in the class and has had me do tasks to get me ready. It’s been a lot of organization, learning how to keep up with their records. Then it all comes back around to developing relationships with the students and show them how to bring what they’ve learned to how it applies to their patients.”
Instructor Nora Gillespie is congratulated by the fourth class of graduates during a ceremony in September.
Retirement, for real this time
Gillespie has threatened to retire for about a year, but had difficulty stepping away from the class she has taught for seven years and helped revamp.
Her students recognize her impact. The two previous apprenticeship classes honored her at graduation ceremonies with T-shirts of her best phrases, a retirement banner and gifts — so many meaningful gifts, such as a framed selfie she let them photograph her in.
She says she doesn’t know how to be any other way, in how she teaches and how she treats others.
“You need to bring joy,” Gillespie tells students. “You see individuals when their bodies have betrayed them. You have to treat them with respect and dignity. Being kind should not be hard.”
She’s at peace with the timing of her retirement this time.
“I can walk away with a smile on my face.”
VHS apprenticeship program
The apprenticeship program is a great opportunity, Armstrong said.
“They’re getting paid to learn. That’s a huge incentive.”
There have been more than 40 enrollees in the apprenticeship program since its launch in March. The VHS earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program is part of the Healthcare Apprenticeship Extension Program, which is partially funded by a grant from the Department of Labor.
Apprenticeship students are brought on as Care Assistants and spend about 30 days working in a VHS nursing and rehabilitation center before coursework and clinicals begin. Following completion of the classes, students then return to work at a facility and undergo review sessions to prepare for the state certification exam to become a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
The apprenticeship program covers the cost of the course and clinical work, and the cost of the exam. It also provides the benefit of Family Scholarship House, which can offer resources and funds to help cover academic coaching, affordable housing, transportation, child care, emergencies and more. It is available to those in the HAEP grant program at no additional cost.
The VHS apprenticeship program has plans to expand, including pathways for LPNs, and in pharmaceutical, dietary, housekeeping, and administration and leadership.
Virginia Health Services has a long history of encouraging development of its team members and promoting from within. View our job opportunities, and know that development is a priority at VHS.
The education team at VHS offers a variety of services to its nursing staff.
Director of Team Member Engagement Kathryn Fisher also can help connect team members to assistance, scholarship opportunities and nursing programs that offer discounts to VHS employees.
The investment in development of our nursing professionals at Virginia Health Services extends beyond our earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program.
It includes wrap-around services through Family Scholar House, which can offer resources and funds to help cover academic coaching, affordable housing, transportation, child care, emergencies and more. It is offered to those in the HAEP grant program at no additional charge throughout the course of the year of their apprenticeship.
VHS Director of Education Bryanna Rhodes said the team at the EEE offers review sessions before Nurse Aide certification exams, which include a written test and mock skills assessments.
In-house development opportunities
Nora Gillespie and Bryanna Rhodes hug during remarks at the July apprenticeship graduation ceremony.
The education team also can offer prep assistance for individuals in a RN program by request.
The team also offers knowledge-based in-services and addresses pressure areas in facilities, such as setting up IV labs, PPE demos and other training. CPR certification training is offered at EEE.
The education team also is the first group to try out new equipment and deliver training.
It also welcomes new employees at orientation.
Get started
In pursuing a nursing pathway, Rhodes said talking to the education team is a “good starting point.”
The team can help with school selection and get the process going.
Cerissa Atkins, VHS Process Improvement Manager, said being prepared and setting a timeline is key. “Don’t delay,” she said of starting the process. Deciding where to go, finding financial assistance and applying takes time.
Rhodes said often the VHS facilities’ schedulers will help accommodate school schedules and be flexible with individuals on development pathways.
“The passion has to be there to work in long-term care,” Atkins said.
Pathways
There are several pathways that can lead to increased salary and professional satisfaction.
Starting as a CNA can develop into a nursing career as a RN or LPN, an educator or a long-term care facility administrator.
Fisher can help individuals manage VHS’ tuition assistance and reimbursement policies, research scholarship opportunities and connect individuals with schools that might be a good fit and/or offer discounted tuition to VHS team members.
“VHS has the flexibility to believe in you,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes joined VHS in December as an educator after working six years as an acute care nurse in an emergency room. She was promoted to director of education a few months after starting.
“You can really grow in a family-centered environment at VHS,” Atkins said.
The graduation ceremony Thursday looked a little different.
Apprentice graduation was streamed on Zoom and had limited in-person attendance.
The hybrid ceremony was streamed on Zoom, with limited in-person attendance at Virginia Health Services’ Employment, Enrichment, Education (EEE) Center in Port Warwick.
It was done to minimize risk, given rising COVID cases in the community. Each graduate was allowed one in-person attendee.
The eight apprentices graduated from Care Assistants to Nurse Aides following a vigorous classroom and clinical “boot camp.”
Six will work in Virginia Health Services facilities before taking their state certification exam to be CNAs.
The graduates are: Lindsey Valdivia (valedictorian), Maiah Banks (salutatorian), Regina Benson, Latoria Cofield, Shavonte Gary, Jessica Johnson, Shalayia Johnson and Michael Polite.
The camaraderie at every graduation is always evident – these students have spent a lot of time doing hard work together – and there are always heartfelt moments.
None more so Thursday than when the graduates added a surprise ending to the ceremony for instructor Nora Gillespie. As her solo last class before she (semi) retires, they walked out with a “Happy Retirement” banner, gifts and cake.
A fifth class – with students at Walter Reed Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center and the EEE – begins next week. Gillespie will teach her cohort at the EEE with a new instructor, handing off full-time teaching responsibilities before retiring.
The graduates are: Lindsey Valdivia (valedictorian), Maiah Banks (salutatorian), Regina Benson, Latoria Cofield, Shavonte Gary, Jessica Johnson, Shalayia Johnson and Michael Polite.
Virginia Health Services CEO Mark Klyczek addresses the graduates Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021.
Start of the journey
Virginia Health Services President and CEO Mark Klyczek opened the ceremony with remarks, congratulating the graduates.
“This is an important step in your career journey,” he said, “but it isn’t your only one. … There are so many options in healthcare today. …
“Go down the path that you think will get you the furthest in the long haul.”
Gillespie said it was an “intense journey” to get to graduation. The class has to get through 14 tests and learn and execute 22 skills.
“You were all up to the task,” she said. “You all said on the first day you had the heart and compassion to do this, and you demonstrated it in clinicals.”
The class did its clinical work at York Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center.
The graduates
Instructor Nora Gillespie hugs student Michael Polite.
Gillespie is never speechless when it comes to celebrating her students. She piles on the platitudes because the students earn them. She is very proud of the students she instructs.
Benson, Gillespie said, found her focus and “knocked clinicals out of the park.”
Cofield comes from a family of Virginia Health Services team members. She “glowed on the unit” during clinicals, Gillespie said. She also received Gillespie’s heart superlative, which goes to the student who gives their all in the clinical environment. Cofield “beamed,” Gillespie said. “It made me speechless.”
Gary, who is moving with her family to Texas, “talks fast and was in it to win it.” Her instruction will carry over to apply to take the certification exam in Texas.
Jessica Johnson “sat up front, center and gave 100%,” Gillespie said, adding, “You said from the start it’s in your heart and in your blood to do this.”
Shalayia Johnson didn’t let anything stop her from being in class and getting the work done, Gillespie said.
Salutatorian Maiah Banks receives her certificate.
Polite was “determined to be successful,” she said. He earned her clinical superlative. “There was no attitude. It was always, ‘I’m on it, Ms. Nora.’ The Residents loved you.”
Banks, the salutatorian, was accepted to and started nursing school in the RN program at ECPI while finishing her class. Gillespie said she “thrived in the clinical environment.” The class, Gillespie said, set Banks up to be “an excellent nurse.”
Valedictorian Lindsey Valdivia receives her certificate from instructor Nora Gillespie and VHS CEO Mark Klyczek.
Valedictorian honors grandmother
Valedictorian Lindsey Valdivia sat in the back, Gillespie said. “Her heart is pretty amazing.”
She had perfect attendance, and top marks in class and clinicals. She also, Gillespie said, “is an outstanding individual.” She offered words of encouragement to her classmates, got snacks when the class ran out and made sure the students who had to sit out a few days after possible COVID exposure didn’t get behind.
“I’m glad to have met you,” Gillespie said. “You all benefited from what (Valdivia) did.”
Valedictorian Lindsey Valdivia honored her late grandmother wearing a scrub top with her image on it. “I know she’s with me here,” she said.
Her comments were met with applause and agreement.
Valdivia’s grandmother, who she was very close to, passed away a little over a week before graduation.
“So I decided to bring her with me,” Valdivia said, pointing to her scrub top with an image of her. “I know she’s here with me.”
“Your grandmother would be very proud of who you are,” Gillespie said.
Valdivia thanked Virginia Health Services for the opportunity in her valedictorian remarks.
“It encourages a lot of people to go further in their careers and their lives,” she said. “They made us realize our value.”
She recommended no matter what, finish what you start and “whatever you do, do it to the best you can.”
Valdivia said she got into healthcare because she saw what aging had done to her grandparents and she wanted to be an asset to others’ families dealing with aging loved ones.
Turning to Gillespie, she said, “And we couldn’t have asked for a better teacher. … She made sure we understood what she taught us. She was very patient and kind. She cared about us.”
The class carried in a retirement banner to celebrate instructor Nora Gillespie.
Retirement surprise!
The graduates stole the show at the end, rendering Gillespie speechless. To honor her impending retirement, they carried out a banner, gifts and a cake.
Instructor Nora Gillespie was rendered speechless by the retirement cake from her students.
“I’ve been trying to retire (for years),” she said, “but I keep coming back because I love what I do. I think I was put here for a reason … and it’s going to be a difficult thing to let go of.”
She had to take a minute to compose herself and thank the students.
“You’re my last solo class, and I will carry you with me always,” she said.
Apprenticeship program
Six of the graduates will continue working as Nurse Aides with Virginia Health Services at Northampton, James River, The Newport and Coliseum convalescent and rehabilitation centers. They will be able to take advantage of the exam prep offered by VHS’ education team ahead of taking their certification exams.
There have been 40 enrollees in the apprenticeship program since its launch in March. The VHS earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program is part of the Healthcare Apprenticeship Extension Program, which is partially funded by a grant from the Department of Labor.
Virginia Health Services recognized its third class of graduates from the Nurse Aide apprenticeship with a ceremony Wednesday at The Arbors at Port Warwick in Newport News.
VHS CEO and President Mark Klyczek delivered opening remarks, telling the graduates Virginia Health Services is “fortunate to grow our own CNAs. … You are at the end of your CNA training, but the beginning of your career. There are no limits” to where you can go next.
The 10 graduates were the largest class yet for the VHS program. The fourth cohort begins Aug. 3.
The earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program trains Care Assistants to become Nurse Aides during a five-week instruction period. The apprentices are paid during their training time, and the program covers the cost of the certification exam to become a CNA.
The graduates
Walter Reed Nursing and Rehabilitation Center hosted graduate Chad Hoffman for his apprenticeship.
Instructor Ann Armstrong taught one student at Walter Reed, Chad Hoffman.
“He had all eyes on him,” she said to the gathered friends and family at Wednesday’s ceremony, “and he did very well.”
The Newport News-based class came together as a team over the course of the 25 days of class and clinical instruction.
“I am happy to share everyone received an A,” instructor Nora Gillespie said. She teaches at VHS’ Employment, Enrichment and Education center in Newport News. Nine of the 10 graduates were in her class.
Graduates were Jami Brinson, Jessica Campbell, Chad Hoffman, Christine Johnson, Quedarica Jones, Tawandra Rawl, Dana Turner, Jessica Williams, salutatorian Devyn Hotop and valedictorian Shirley Weigle.
They are placed at York, The Newport, Coliseum, Northampton and Walter Reed nursing and rehabilitation centers to continue careers with Virginia Health Services.
The camaraderie and affection for one another was apparent throughout the ceremony, with barely a dry eye in the house by the end.
Weigle, in her valedictorian remarks, said that there were times in the course of being a Care Assistant, she considered quitting. She has nursing experience from her time in the Philippines, but has to be recertified in the U.S.
“There were days I would sit in my car and cry and think, why am I doing this? Then I said, no, I have dreams and I have goals,” she said.
Then she excelled in Gillespie’s class, earning top honors on tests, clinical skills and perfect attendance.
“I said thank you to Nora, she did it. And she said, no, you did it – you made it yourself” Weigle shared.
“I think we all did it. For the past month, I was with these eight beautiful girls. They shared their goals. They shared their dreams. I share this recognition with all of you.”
Gillespie awarded her entire class a “Heart Award” for the collective heart and compassion the students had for the Residents they worked with, and each other.
Surprise for Gillespie
The students surprised Gillespie at the end of the ceremony, walking back in with T-shirts designed with some of her more frequent sayings.
“You know more than you think you know.”
“I took a risk!”
“That’s cooler than dog’s lips!”
Virginia Health Services apprentices surprise instructor Nora Gillespie with T-shirts with her best sayings on them.
Gillespie, not one for being the center of attention, hugged the T-shirt they gave her, and shook her head.
She also was given a framed photo the students took with her before the ceremony.
As the students were putting the T-shirts on over their navy-blue scrubs, Director of Education Bryanna Rhodes shared a few words to recognize Gillespie, who always recognizes each student at the graduation ceremonies.
“She has been with VHS for 7 years, and I have had the privilege of working with her since December. When you look at the classes she’s taught, the hundreds of students she’s touched … It’s always amazing to me she can create a team out of a room full of strangers.”
“CNA bootcamp”
Virginia Health Services apprentices gave instructor Nora Gillespie a framed photo they signed as a graduation gift.
Gillespie doesn’t shy away from telling the students – or their families and friends – that the class she teaches for five weeks is hard. She doesn’t shy away from telling them that working in long-term care is hard.
She lifts up their hard work and accomplishments and shares details about each student who survives “CNA bootcamp,” as she calls it.
When class began, she asked the students why they were there.
“You all said, ‘I want to take care of someone. … I enjoy being with the elderly.’ You don’t find that every day in a group,” Gillespie said.
“Every day after clinicals, you had a story to tell about something that made you smile. … You cared about your Residents.”
Virginia Health Services apprenticeship program
The VHS earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program is part of the Healthcare Apprenticeship Extension Program, which is partially funded by a grant from the Department of Labor.
Previous classes graduated in April and June. The program is unusual in that it pays participants for their training, and employs the students after graduation. Learn more about the program here.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply here.
Virginia Health Services CEO Mark Klyczek gives opening remarks.
Instructor Nora Gillespie is surprised by graduation gift.
Nora Gillespie and Bryanna Rhodes hug during remarks at the July apprenticeship graduation ceremony.
Salutatorian Devyn Hotop receives her badge and other gifts.
Cerissa Atkins serves up post-ceremony snacks. And cake!
Families and friends of the graduates gather to celebrate at The Arbors.
Virginia Health Services invests in the education and growth of its CNAs with apprenticeship program
Virginia Health Services celebrates its Certified Nurses Assistants (CNAs) daily – and is thanking them during CNA Week, which begins June 17 and runs through June 23.
The week is dedicated to thanking the work of CNAs in VHS facilities, and those team members will receive lunches and other forms of recognition.
VHS is invested in its development of CNAs. While it always has offered training classes and employment opportunities, Virginia Health Services doubled-down on its commitment this year by offering an earn-as-you-learn apprenticeship program.
VHS is participating in the Healthcare Apprenticeship Expansion Program (HAEP), which is funded with a Department of Labor Closing the Skills Gap Grant and has an emphasis on careers in senior living. Employer partners are reimbursed for a portion of their apprentice training costs.
A new cohort begins every five to six weeks, and two classes have graduated from the program from Care Assistants to Nurses’ Aides. Most are employed by VHS’s nursing and rehabilitation facilities as they prepare for the state certification exam to be a CNA.
The VHS education team aids in exam-prep with review sessions and other resources.
CNAs essential to long-term care
Apprentices check their cart stock while gaining their clinical experience at York Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center.
As VHS celebrates CNA Week, it recognizes the important role CNAs play in caring for Residents.
“They are essential to long-term care,” says instructor Nora Gillespie. “They are the eyes and ears for the nurses. They spend the most time with the Residents.”
VHS Director of Education Bryanna Rhodes said often CNAs are the first person a Resident sees in the morning and the last person they see at night. CNAs are responsible for grooming care, helping Residents dress and a host of skills that put them on the frontlines of Resident care.
“The students are invested in the Residents,” Gillespie said, “and the Residents are invested in the students.”
Revamped course
The state of Virginia recently updated and revised its training objectives for CNAs. Gillespie, Rhodes and instructor Ann Armstrong recently restructured the CNA training program to make it more visually engaging as they factored in how best to present a curriculum of nearly 400 pages to students.
“VHS has an excellent program. It’s a good way to launch your career,” Gillespie said.
Apprentices learn 22 skills and cover over 650 PowerPoint slides over the course of five weeks. The course covers laws of long-term care, HIPPA, COVID best practices, residents’ rights, safety, infection control and how care should be delivered.
They spend six days in a VHS facility to gain clinical experience.
The training is paid. The apprentices also become employees of VHS in that time, and there is continually room to grow and educational opportunities. The apprenticeship program pays for its participants to take the certification exam once their Nursing Assistant certificate is completed.
“It’s more than just a CNA class,” said Rhodes, “it’s an opportunity for growth and to gain experience.”
The apprenticeship class works on patient care, including how to change linens, with instructor Nora Gillespie.
There are several VHS employees who have advanced in the company after starting their careers as CNAs, including Walter Reed Administrator Bryant Hudgins and Coliseum Assistant Director of Nursing Princess Williams.
Benefits of Virginia Health Services apprenticeship
VHS offers the continuing education tools to make it possible.
Rhodes said VHS has relationships with several nursing schools, and it also offers tuition reimbursement.
“It’s more than getting a CNA in the building,” Rhodes said. “It’s a career with VHS.”
The class is just the beginning for students, Gillespie said.
And with smaller class sizes – limited by the state to 10 students per instructor – VHS’s education staff can really focus on the students and get to know them.
“The students are our coworkers,” Rhodes said. “We create an atmosphere of wanting our team members to succeed.”
The focus on students allows instructors like Gillespie and Armstrong to find what motivates them.
“You help them find the light within themselves,” Gillespie said.
The apprenticeship program also helps alleviate barriers to employment for the students. There is assistance available through Family Scholar House, which can offer resources and funds to help cover academic coaching, affordable housing, transportation, child care, emergencies and more. It is offered to those in the HAEP grant program at no additional charge.
Family Scholar House is available to apprentices throughout the course of the year of their apprenticeship.
CNAs have always been needed on the frontlines
CNAs have always been on the frontlines. The profession began around the time of World War I, and certified nurses’ aides with the American Red Cross worked alongside Army nurses to treat wounded soldiers.
Valedictorian Sabrina Baylor receives her certificate from instructor Nora Gillespie.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in health care to grow 15% from 2019 to 2029, adding about 2.4 million new jobs. The Bureau attributes the projected growth to an aging population and increased need in health care services.
The VHS apprenticeship program will expand. There are several opportunities being examined, including pathways for LPNs, and in pharmaceutical, dietary, housekeeping, and administration and leadership.
A new cohort of apprentices starts June 21, and it’s the largest class yet at 14 students on the Peninsula and Middle Peninsula.
Visit the Careers page to learn more and how to apply. Virginia Health Services has a continued need to add heroes to its frontlines.
If you see a CNA this week, remember to thank them for their care and service to a loved one.
Virginia Health Services’ second cohort of Care Assistants graduated Friday at The Arbors at Port Warwick.
It is the second Virginia Health Services apprenticeship class. The earn-as-you learn apprenticeship program pays participants to take the classes and complete clinical work necessary to move from Care Assistants to Nursing Aides.
The graduates will take the state certification in about a month to qualify as CNAs.
A class of six started May 3, taught by Nora Gillespie at VHS’s Employment, Enrichment and Education (EEE) Center in Port Warwick. One student worked through the program with instructor Ann Armstrong at Lancashire Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center in Kilmarnock.
Participants had to learn 22 skills in 26.5 days. There were tests, lessons and hands-on work.
Virginia Health Services apprenticeship graduates take their seats during a ceremony June 4, 2021.
“It was very challenging, but they were up to the task,” Gillespie proudly told the graduates and their friends and families in attendance at Friday’s ceremony. “You did it, and you didn’t do it alone.”
In opening remarks, VHS Vice President of Operations Don Lundin congratulated the group, telling them, “There is so much need for what you are about to embark in. … It’s hard work. … It’s meaningful work.
“We are here to celebrate everything you are about to accomplish.”
Gillespie shared that the students bonded as a team.
“I’ve never had a class as focused as they were,” she said.
She shared sentiments about each graduate. Common threads included the team being compassionate, treating their patients with dignity and respect, and being organized and efficient.
Valedictorian Kimberlynne Watkins, a recent Hampton University graduate, said in her speech, “We started as mere strangers … but as we leave we’re taking more than a certificate with us. We have gained heart, compassion, diligence and so much more. … I’m proud to say I have made a friend in every single one of you.”
Watkins was also complimentary of Gillespie.
Virginia Health Services apprenticeship cohort valedictorian Kimberlynne Watkins and instructor Nora Gillespie.
“We can confidently say you fully prepared us to take on our roles as nursing aides. No matter what happens, we will always have your voice in our head guiding us.”
She also thanked program director Bryanna Rhodes.
Salutatorian Nicole Brown, Lawrence “Eli” Rhodes, Jasmine Smith, Sachae Simmons, Michelle Watts and Tanya Wiggins joined Watkins in receiving their certificates of completion, pins, name badges, flowers and VHS goodie bags.
They were joined by family and friends for a reception with refreshments at The Arbors, VHS’s independent living community.
Virginia Health Services Apprenticeship
The apprenticeship program is part of the Healthcare Apprenticeship Extension Program, which is partially funded by a grant from the Department of Labor.
A previous cohort graduated in April, and many are placed at facilities throughout Virginia Health Services’ network.
Three of Friday’s graduates are slated to be Nursing Aides at VHS’s James River Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center. Others are going to Northampton, York and Lancashire Convalescent and Rehabilitation centers.
“We’re excited to have you be part of our team,” Lundin told the graduates.
Virginia Health Services apprenticeship salutatorian Nicole Brown receives her certificate of completion and other goodies during a graduation ceremony June 4, 2021, at The Arbors at Port Warwick.
Careers with Virginia Health Services
Gillespie said the program is one of the best things VHS does.
The program provides the training and the pay, which is unusual. Gillespie said previously those interested had to take time off from other jobs to attend classes, and pay for the course. This flips the process on its head, making participating in Care Assistant training and advancement accessible to those who are interested.
It also provides employment opportunities, both during the training and as the apprentices continue through the program as Nursing Aides.
“The role of a CNA is the foundation of long-term care,” Gillespie said. “You know the residents better than anyone else. You add quality to their lives.”
Another apprenticeship class is slated to start June 21. Apprenticeship classes are ongoing throughout the year. Click here for the latest application.
VHS has a continual need for Care Assistants (CAs), Certified Nursing Aides (CNAs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Registered Nurses (RNs), and has positions available in all of its Peninsula locations. Visit the Careers page for details.
Jasmine Smith with VHS VP of Operations Don Lundin
Kimberlynne Watkins with instructor Nora Gillespie
Lawrences “Eli” Rhodes with Gillespie
Michelle Watts with Gillespie
Nicole Brown with Gillespie
Sachae Simmons with Gillespie
Tanya Wiggins with instructor Ann Armstrong
There were lots of hugs!
A reception followed with cake, sandwiches and other snacks.
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Michael Polite is a Nurse Aide at James River Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center. He started in environmental services at James River, then enrolled in the apprenticeship program.
Jessica Campbell & Devyn Hotop, CNAs, The Newport
Donae Mcdonald is a Nurse Aide at York Convalescent and Rehabilitation Center. She was in the fifth cohort and graduated in October.
Dana Turner, who is a CNA at York, was in the 
