New Program for Area Residents Interested in a Hospital-Based Nursing Career
May 11, 2022
Ahead of National Nurses Day on May 6, Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, Nevada, has launched a unique “Earn While You Learn” program to offer area residents the opportunity for full-time employment and a career pathway in hospital-based nursing.
“Rural healthcare is its own nursing specialty,” said Bonnie Stolzman, DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer of Desert View Hospital. “In a rural community, you get to know patients in the context of their community and their families. You take care of the whole family and in some cases multiple generations of families that you see through birth, death and sometimes trauma.
“There’s a continuity of care and a kind of gratification that’s very hard to find in larger urban settings. You are choosing to care for your family, friends and area residents, knowing you have a solid team of coworkers but not all the advanced specialty medical services readily available in an urban setting like Las Vegas. This means our team is extra vigilant for the care our patients need, providing excellent clinical, compassionate healthcare while they are supported by an expert team of physicians, experienced nurses, registered respiratory therapists and coworkers from imaging, laboratory and other areas to provide the best possible care to our patients.
“And, in a tourist destination like Pahrump, we are also very comfortable dealing with the migrant snowbird population in our RV parks; national and international tourists to destinations like Death Valley, China Ranch Date Farm and the Dumont Dunes; and those visiting our own unique destinations like firearms training, the local vineyards and the museum and attending special events,” said Stolzman.
Start Your Hospital-Based Nursing Career
Earn While You Learn was created especially for area residents who are interested in a hospital-based nursing career. Applicants accepted into the program will be hired full-time in entry-level hospital positions and will be paid while they receive hospital sponsored Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training and attain their state CNA certification. They will then work full-time as a CNA until they are eligible for Desert View Hospital’s tuition reimbursement program. Interested CNAs will receive assistance applying for Great Basin College’s (GBC) registered nursing program along with tuition assistance, all while continuing to have a full-time position with full-time benefits.
“This means they will work full-time as a CNA, receiving a full-time paycheck with benefits, while attending GBC,” explained Stolzman. “Once our employees earn their Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) with GBC and pass their national nursing certification (NCLEX) exam, they will be employed as a registered nurse, full-time, at Desert View Hospital, based upon their previously agreed commitment.”
Desert View Hospital has already met with high school students from Pahrump Valley High School as well as several community members who are interested in a career in the healthcare field. “There is so much talent in our community, we are hoping many recent high school graduates take advantage of our Earn While You Learn program,” said Susan Davila, CEO of Desert View Hospital, who was raised in rural Montana and has worked for Desert View Hospital for 11 of its 16 years. “I understand firsthand the importance of rural healthcare, and my ‘why’ for coming to work every day is to do my best to ensure our community has the care, expertise and resources it needs to manage acute and chronic medical conditions.”
Nursing opportunities include medical-surgical inpatient nursing care, emergency care, surgical and endoscopy services and other opportunities that may arise.
Apply for the Program
Interested applicants can drop off a resume at the main entrance of the hospital or send an email requesting further information to Bonnie.Stolzman@uhsinc.com. All interested parties will be required to fill out an online application and complete a background check and personal interview.