[3 min read]
In this article:
- The Nurse Technician Clinical Partnership between Swedish and Seattle University is aimed at supporting future nurses through their schooling.
- This innovative program pays nursing students for their required clinical rotations at Swedish hospitals and hires them as nurse technicians, when they can gain practical working experience.
- The program is made possible by the generosity of donors to the Swedish Foundation.
Michelle Jackson, RN, (pictured above) was eight months from nursing school graduation and growing increasingly worried. The Seattle University senior worked throughout college to pay for books, transportation, and other daily living expenses.
Now her time-intensive senior practicum was approaching, when Jackson would have to juggle long shifts at the hospital with a full courseload. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to manage it all in addition to her job, especially because her senior practicum and final clinical rotation amounted to approximately 400 hours of unpaid time.
“Thinking about doing three nights in a row, unpaid, of full-time nursing hours and then going to school and work in addition to that was very stressful,” Jackson says. “I just knew it would be way too much.”
A win-win solution
Enter the Nurse Technician Clinical Partnership, a philanthropy-funded initiative between Swedish and Seattle University that’s aimed at supporting future nurses through their schooling. This innovative program pays nursing students for their required clinical rotations at Swedish hospitals — traditionally unpaid — and hires them as nurse technicians, when they can gain practical working experience.
“It’s the ability to learn while you earn that makes a difference,” explains Renee Rassilyer-Bomers, DNP, FAAN, chief nursing officer for Providence Swedish North Division. “We want to encourage folks to join nursing and find ways to remove the financial burden that limits many students from continuing in these time-intensive clinical programs.”
Rather than struggle to balance work with school, nursing students accepted into the program can instead focus on honing their nursing skills. Many, like Jackson, are even able to quit their other jobs.
It’s exactly what longtime nursing advocate and donor Karen Steele hoped to accomplish with her transformational gift for the program.
“I would like very much to make sure that the people who are focused on becoming a nurse have the ability to become the very best that they can be,” explains Steele, whose gift will support the program for several years. “They don’t need to be burdened with having to pay the rent or support their kids, and I feel honored that I have this avenue to help them achieve their goals.”
The Nurse Technician Clinical Partnership benefits not just nursing students but also Swedish. With a nationwide nursing shortage putting a strain on health care systems, this program helps alleviate staffing needs and nurtures the next generation of nurses. Of the first cohort that finished in August 2024, 14 Seattle University nursing students completed the program and 12 were later hired at Swedish. One was Jackson, who admits she didn’t even consider applying to other health care organizations.
“This program definitely helped me narrow my focus to stay with Swedish because I really liked the people, and it was an environment I was already familiar with,” she says.
Easing the way for new nurses
Aside from the financial benefits, the Nurse Technician Clinical Partnership offers a more seamless transition for nursing students from school to hospital, leading to more confident and qualified caregivers entering the workforce.
“Working as a nurse technician put me in a unique position to actually use the skills that I learned in school and solidify my foundation as I transitioned into being an RN,” Jackson says. “It makes the learning curve not as intimidating.”
The program also provides continuity, hosting all clinical rotations at Swedish rather than at different hospital organizations. This means less time onboarding and learning new systems and more time building on a nursing student’s experience.
“When it was time to apply for a RN position, my manager ended up not doing an interview because she had seen me work from February through August,” Jackson says. “This program really gave me the chance to show what I can do.”
A dedication to nurses and giving back
Success stories like Jackson show the true power of this program. The second cohort launched in Fall 2024 and, in the future, Rassilyer-Bomers looks forward to potentially growing the program to reach even more students.
For now, she’s heartened by the incredible generosity of donors like Steele.
“The cost for supporting these students is something that we learned early on was going to be a challenge, but philanthropy solves for that,” Rassilyer-Bomers says. “It protects the capacity for us to be able to offer this to students.”
As for Steele, her gift just felt like the right thing to do to support compassionate future caregivers.
“I’ve never met one person at Swedish who is focused on anything other than being better or helping someone else be better,” she says. “When we find these people, we need to help them in return.”
Learn more and find a physician or advanced practice clinician (APC)
Whether you require an in-person visit or want to consult a doctor virtually, you have options. Contact Swedish Primary Care to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider. You can also connect virtually with your provider to review your symptoms, provide instruction and follow up as needed. And with Swedish ExpressCare Virtual, you can receive treatment in minutes for common conditions such as colds, flu, urinary tract infections and more. You can use our provider directory to find a specialist or primary care physician near you.
About the Swedish Foundation
Your generous gift helps support a healthy tomorrow for everyone in every communty we serve. Learn about more ways to give to the Swedish Foundation or make a direct donation online at swedishfoundation.org. You can also contact the Foundation at 206-368-2738 or email foundation@swedish.org. Thank you for helping us shape the future of healthcare. We can’t do it without you.
Information for patients and visitors
Additional resources
Recognizing the care, commitment and resilience of our nurses
Providence Swedish’s Simulation Center provides nurses hands-on experience | king5.com
Your generosity supports lifesaving care for our tiniest patients
Nursing & Allied Health Education Programs | Swedish
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