Apprenticeship program offers unique opportunity for AUM nursing students


Auburn University at Montgomery’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences has launched a new apprenticeship program in collaboration with Baptist Health and Jackson Hospital to help address the growing demand for nursing professionals in Alabama.
AUM’s Student Nurse Apprenticeship Program is administered through partnerships with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship and Alabama Board of Nursing. The program welcomed its inaugural cohort of nursing students in December 2023, said Jean Leuner, dean of AUM’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“Two years ago, the state Legislature passed a new law to allow the state’s Board of Nursing to create a permit for student nurse apprentices,” she said. “This new rule and our partnership with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship has allowed AUM to work with licensed healthcare facilities to employ our nursing students as apprentices, earning pay-for-work hours and clinical hours.”
AUM nursing students are eligible to apply for the apprenticeship program in their second semester in the nursing program at AUM. Working with Baptist Health and Jackson Hospital, AUM places students at one of the healthcare facilities to work directly with a nursing mentor.
Once accepted into the program, apprentice applicants must obtain a permit from the Alabama Board of Nursing, which remains valid for the duration of their enrollment in AUM’s nursing program or until graduation. Apprentices may work approximately 24 hours per week, with hours involving paid work, paid clinical experience, or a combination of both.
By establishing a pathway where nursing students can earn while they learn, the state aims to bolster Alabama’s nursing workforce, Leuner said.
“We hope that apprenticeship participants will seek full-time employment in their apprentice facility after graduation,” she said. “This would streamline the onboarding process for hospitals and benefit both the healthcare institution and the graduate.”

Upon graduation, student apprentices must still pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN ®) to continue employment at healthcare facilities as a professional registered nurse.
Junior nursing major Chase Madrid said he was drawn to AUM’s nursing apprenticeship program for the opportunity to gain paid clinical experience and work under the mentorship of nursing professionals.
“The experience I’m gaining through this apprenticeship goes beyond what a classroom can offer,” said Madrid, who is completing his apprenticeship at Jackson Hospital. “The biggest reward is the wealth of knowledge.”
Madrid’s interest in nursing began in high school, where he spent two summers volunteering at Jackson Hospital. After high school, he enrolled in AUM’s nursing program while working as a nurse assistant in Jackson’s emergency room.
“I fell in love with everything nursing,” he said. “Before the apprenticeship program, I worked as a nurse assistant at Jackson for two and a half years. Now, I’m gaining significant knowledge in critical care nursing and earning compensation for clinical time, which is great.”
Jaycee Cook-McCollum, a junior nursing major, shared her positive experience five months into her apprenticeship at Baptist Health, emphasizing how it has deepened her understanding of patient care and the healthcare system.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of the program has been seeing the positive impact I can have on patients’ lives,” said Cook-McCollum, who plans to pursue a career as a pediatric nurse. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with a diverse patient population, which has broadened my assessment and critical thinking skills. Overall, I feel like I’m growing both personally and professionally.”
Leuner underscored that AUM’s nurse apprenticeship is designed to equip students to deliver quality, patient-centered, evidence-based care in hospitals and other healthcare settings.
“Academic-practice partnerships are fundamental for all nursing programs,” she said. “It’s why we encourage our nursing graduates to become mentors and preceptors for future nursing students.”