Expanding Education Access with Embedded Nursing Schools

A new AHA Market Scan Trailblazers report, sponsored by Unitek Learning, explores how embedded nursing school programs can expand access to education and strengthen the nursing workforce. Many hospitals and health systems offer educational benefits such as tuition reimbursement and scholarships to support workforce development and career advancement. Healthcare providers also maintain nursing pipelines through partnerships with local colleges and universities.

However, employees and community members interested in becoming nurses often encounter challenges, such as limited program capacity, insufficient financial support and learning models that make it hard to balance schooling with work and family responsibilities. To address these barriers, some hospitals and health systems have complemented their academic partnerships and education benefits with embedded nursing school partnerships.

Facilitating Career Advancement and Community Impact Through Embedded Nursing Schools

Hospitals and health systems that establish embedded nursing schools can align educational pathways with local needs to support long-term workforce stability and benefit surrounding communities. An accredited education provider can provide the curriculum, faculty and student support, while the hospital offers the clinical learning environment and helps align training opportunities with workforce priorities and program requirements. This approach can support workforce planning by allowing hospitals and health systems to adjust educational pathways based on workforce projections, employee demographics, community needs assessments and anticipated service growth.

Additionally, for employees, an embedded nursing school partnership can offer a supported path to education and career advancement with resources to help address the realities of life as a working adult.

This report contains case studies from Community Health System and Sierra View Medical Center (SVMC) illustrating the real-world impact of embedded nursing schools in expanding access to education. These examples also demonstrate different approaches to structure: Community's strategy focuses on health system employees, while SVMC also enrolls community members.