More than a year ago, Community Health System and Unitek College launched a partnership to train the next generation of nurses. It’s called the Nursing Education Pathway powered by Unitek, and it aims to help solve the Central Valley’s nursing shortage. 

Now, the first cohort is graduating and getting ready to transition into their new careers.  

The patient becomes the nurse 

Miranda “Lulu” Moitoso is one of those graduating students.  

Moitoso’s path to nursing began when she was a child. Between the ages of six to sixteen, she had several surgeries, including a bone graft, to correct the cleft palette she was born with. It was the many interactions she had with nurses that influenced her career goals. 

After graduating high school in 2021, Moitoso took an entry-level role in the environmental services department at Community. She earned her CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) through an employee-sponsored program that paid her to work while earning her certificate.  

“It was an amazing opportunity Community gave me,” said Moitoso.  

When she first heard about the Nursing Education Pathway program, she says the hybrid format — being able to work while going to school — plus getting clinical experience at Community, is what really motivated her to become a registered nurse. 

“The program offers $30,000 in tuition assistance, but I was also able to apply for outside scholarships to cover the rest,” said Moitoso. 

Need for educational opportunities reflects growing interest in nursing  

Expanding nursing education opportunities in the Central Valley is a critical component of Community’s aim in addressing the healthcare worker shortage and the region’s growing healthcare needs.  

When the partnership with Unitek was first launched, more than 600 Community employees expressed interest. Heather Rodriquez, chief nursing officer, said the program reflects a growing interest in nursing in the Central Valley. 

“We’re now on our sixth cohort — 25 students in each,” said Rodriquez. “That’s about 150 employees, all from Community Health System. They’re coming from every department: lab, pharmacy, clinics, acute care, extended care, behavioral health — you name it.”  

More graduates on the way means more nurses in hospitals, which translates to better care for patients in our region. Plans are in the works to expand the Nursing Education Pathway program and make it available to others in the community who are interested in a nursing degree.  

For Moitoso, graduation comes with a sense of pride as well as security. 

“After graduation, there’s a two-year contract to stay at Community in exchange for the tuition assistance,” she said. “I like knowing that when I graduate as a nurse, I’ll be working in a hospital, versus some of my friends in other programs who have to take jobs in memory or long-term care [facilities] in order to get the work experience a hospital wants.” 

To learn more about the Nursing Education Pathway powered by Unitek, visit partners.uniteklearning.com/community-health-system.