Robin Hodgin, Senior Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer of Northern Regional Hospital in Mount Airy, North Carolina, is facing a challenge: "There is a critical shortage of nurses across the country, especially here in North Carolina. In response, Northern Regional Hospital partnered with Surry-Yadkin Works, a regional collaboration between four public school districts and Surry Community College, to create the state's first registered nurse apprenticeship program for young people . "Our strategy to develop an apprenticeship program with Surry-Yadkin Works fits nicely with our ‘grow our own' philosophy and helps create a pipeline of students into the nursing profession," Hodgin says.
Students across the four school districts who take a nurse aide I class in high school become eligible to apply for a certified nursing assistant (CNA) pre-apprenticeship. During the semester-long pre-apprenticeship, students work at Northern Regional Hospital to obtain CNA certification, honing their skills and figuring out if a hospital is a good fit (and vice versa). Upon completion, pre-apprentices can be hired as CNAs, and those who wish to advance can apply for a Registered Apprenticeship leading to a registered nurse (RN) license. RN apprentices continue to work part time at Northern Regional Hospital as CNAs or patient care technicians while earning an associate degree in nursing from Surry Community College.
Since Surry-Yadkin Works launched with 7 pre-apprentices in 2020, the program has grown to 13 pre-apprentices in 2021, 15 in 2022, and 39 as of August 2023 (with more planned—the program has been so successful that the hospital will hire a third cohort in fall 2023). Of the 74 pre-apprentices who completed the program since 2020, 62 of them remain employed with Northern Regional Hospital. Many CNAs have become RN apprentices, and the first three RN apprentices graduated with an associate degree in nursing in May 2023.
"We have a nursing shortage in the nation, and the apprenticeship program is a way to increase the number of qualified nurses locally and regionally. These students can get paid while going to school to earn their credentials and finish their education debt free. It’s a win-win for the students and our hospital,” said Christi Smiley, Vice President of Human Resources at Northern Regional Hospital. “I encourage any hospital to take advantage of this great opportunity. . . . While there is a risk some may leave eventually, many stay, and it is a great return on our investment overall."
Publish Date: 03/23/2026