News
New Loan Repayment Program Launch Coincides with National Nurses Week
May 18, 2023
The week of May 6 through 12 is designated as National Nurses Week, which provides the community an opportunity to celebrate the work of nurses in improving the health and well-being of our communities and in caring for patients in all settings. At Fitzgibbon Hospital, more than 200 nurses work throughout the organization, from staffing rural health clinics to surgical suites to inpatient care to long-term care.
To help increase the number of nurses employed by the Fitzgibbon organization, a new loan repayment program has been instituted that will help nurses and some other hard-to-fill positions receive additional payments. The payments will be made to individuals who incur educational loans while they received their training in their healthcare field. The loan repayment program is unique to the Fitzgibbon and The Living Center organizations and helps to offset the cost of the individual’s loan in return for an employment commitment. To learn more about this program and what positions qualify to receive the assistance, visit www.fitzgibbon.org/loan.
When individuals first think of nursing, they often think of registered nurses, also known as RNs. An RN is an individual who has been licensed by the state after completing a recognized nursing program and successfully passing an exam. They provide care in a myriad of settings.
But there are many other types of nurses including Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). There are also advanced practice nurses who have received specialized training and work alongside physicians and other providers in family practice, wound care, behavioral health and other specialties. Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) also provide patient care to women as they prepare for the arrival of their newborn babies. According to the United States Census Bureau, it is estimated that 109 million individuals serve in the nursing profession in the United States.
National Nurses Week was first celebrated in 1954 to mark Florence Nightingale’s 100th birthday. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Florence Nightingale (1820 -1910), also known as “Lady with the Lamp,” was a British nurse who was known as the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale was able to significantly reduce deaths from inadequate supplies, unhealthy food and unsanitary living conditions during the Crimean War. Later on in life she established the Nightingale Training School at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London and continued to advocate for safe healthcare conditions.
To view open positions at The Living Center and at Fitzgibbon Hospital, including several of the aforementioned nursing positions throughout the two organizations, visit www.fitzgibbon.org/careers. To learn more about the loan repayment program available to nurses and other positions, visit www.fitzgibbon.org/loan.