Brenda Carson, interim manager, Home Care/Private Duty at Akron Children’s, attends the graduation ceremony at Portage Lakes Career Center for three of her new LPNs (from left, Patricia Walker, Kovian McDonald and Alina Lintner.)
Akron Children’s is tackling its growing demand for private duty home care nurses through a unique collaboration with Portage Lakes Career Center (PLCC).
According to Patrice Russell, director of talent acquisition and workforce pipelines, the program illustrates the importance of community partnerships in addressing critical workforce needs. For Akron Children’s, it was particularly significant for families with newborns requiring home care after discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
“The collaboration between PLCC’s licensed practical nurse (LPN) program and our Career Launch program has provided an opportunity to hire LPNs who are interested in caring for patients in their homes,” says Patrice. “I was moved to learn there are children in our NICU waiting to go home, but due to a lack of in-home staff, it’s not possible or safe to bring them home.”
This focus on home care goes beyond simply meeting staffing needs. It allows patients, especially fragile newborns coming home from the NICU, to thrive in a familiar environment. Private duty nurses provide essential care in a familiar and comfortable environment for higher acuity patients, allowing for greater family interaction and improved patient outcomes.
“Having private duty services in the home allows the patient to interact with their families, attend gatherings, or other outings helping them to thrive,” says Brenda Carson interim manager, Home Care/Private Duty at Akron Children’s. “Parents also help establish goals for the child and participate in their care.
From top left clockwise: Jessica Young, Chinonso Nkwocha, Holly Sizemore and Patricia Walker have all joined Akron Children’s as private duty/home care nurses following their graduation from PLCC’s LPN program.
“Nurses in private duty are trained to provide a specific skill set so that the patient receives individualized care as ordered,” she adds. “Our private duty nurses provide care to patients with a variety of acute, chronic and end of life conditions, including caring for those with ventilators and tracheostomies.”
Addressing the LPN shortage
The program came at a time when the health care industry was facing a nationwide shortage of LPNs. The reasons behind the shortage are complex, according to Brenda.
“I have been in health care for over 30 years and have noticed that LPN staffing ebbs and flows,” she explains. “Every few years there is a shift that influences the need as well as modified staffing plans.
“Private duty was affected by the pandemic, like most health care,” she adds. “We lost several nurses due to changes in their personal family needs/childcare. Our patients/families wanted to decrease the number of people entering their homes to protect their fragile children.”
Since then, Brenda says there has been a recent surge in interest from aspiring nurses and those seeking to return to the workforce.
Building relationships for success
The ongoing partnership between PLCC and Akron Children’s goes beyond simply filling open positions. It fosters a deeper connection between the health care provider and potential employees, creating a pipeline for future talent.
Now in its third year, the partnership between PLCC and Career Launch illustrates the importance of community partnerships in addressing critical workforce needs.
Brenda recently presented to PLCC’s adult learners and attended their graduation ceremony at the end of June.
“Building a connection with the candidates is important,” she says. “Hearing words of encouragement and knowing they have a place to begin their career with people who care about their success, helps create a positive learning experience.”
The recent cohort from PLCC’s LPN program has 6 nurses who were a part of the hospital’s Career Launch Plus program. They recently joined the home care/private duty team following their graduation. They include Alina Lintner, Kovian McDonald, Chinonso Nkwocha, Holly Sizemore, Patricia Walker and Jessica Young.
“Being in Career Launch Plus means they did not hold a job at Akron Children’s while going to school,” says Patrice. “Their job was to be full-time students and meet with the Career Launch team bi-weekly. During the meetings, we worked on professional development and served as their mentors.”
With a focus on collaboration and building a strong talent pool, the partnership between Akron Children’s and PLCC serves as a model for addressing workforce needs within the community – empowering individuals to pursue careers in health care while ensuring that families receive the vital care they need.
Want to learn more about Career Launch or Career Launch Plus? Visit careers.akronchildrens.org/career-launch.
