Apprentice Spotlight: Jennifer – Success Story

(Worker name changed for privacy)

Jennifer is a Resident Care Manager at an assisted living facility in Michigan. While she was working as a housekeeper at a nursing facility, she felt as if she could do more: "My job was cleaning, but I wasn't fulfilled," she says. It was the residents at the facility who made her start thinking differently about her career path. They would repeatedly say to her, "You would be a great CNA."  

When her employer introduced her to H-CAP's Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization program, she began to consider career changes that could be life-changing. However, the road towards her new career was not going to be easy; like many others working in the healthcare sector, Jennifer was full of self-doubt: "I was the biggest roadblock to my success, with all of my doubts about being able to do it," she says. 

The Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization program provided monthly reimbursements to make Jennifer's CNA training feasible

"The monthly reimbursement took a lot off my plate- to be able to do the CNA program," she said.

But the program didn't stop there with support: encouragement from her HR director, staff members, residents, and eventually her CNA instructor enabled her to persevere through uncertain times to complete the program. 

Jennifer's efforts paid off in a big way. She received a position at an assisted living memory care unit, and within a week of starting, was promoted to Resident Care Manager. "Without the program you guys offer, it wouldn't have happened to me," she said. "They could have hired me in anyway without the CNA, but I needed it for the next step up." 

Jennifer now finds great satisfaction in her work with residents and their families. She shared with us a story about a son visiting his father, who has dementia, which limits his ability to communicate. Jennifer encouraged the son to keep visiting his father, regardless of how hard or awkward it might be. When the son hugged her and tearfully thanked her, Jennifer realized she had found her calling. 

Jennifer’s transformation continues; she is now exploring colleges to obtain her nursing degree — a real, long-term impact of both the program and her career stabilization and advancement. Her advice to others participating in the Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization program? "Take advantage of all of it. I had no idea how much more I could learn by working my way up in the nursing home and in that field. It can be such a thankless job, but it's such a fulfilling one." 

"Take advantage of all of it. I had no idea how much more I could learn by working my way up in the nursing home and in that field . It can be such at thankless job, but its a fulfilling one. "