MaineHealth is piloting a career navigator services program to aid participants in its free certified nursing assistant training.
The pilot, which was launched at Maine Medical Center Portland, will help CNAs explore growth opportunities, assist with transitions between specialties and support long-term career plans, a system spokesperson told Becker’s.
More than 40 years ago, Damariscotta-based MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital launched a free certified nursing assistant training program to meet staffing needs. Now, the program is offered at five MaineHealth hospitals.
The six-week training program is taught by MaineHealth staff and brings together a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on experience with patients. It runs six times a year at the larger MaineHealth facilities, and at least twice a year at rural facilities. Cohorts range from four to 10 students in rural areas, and up to 50 students at MaineHealth’s largest hospital.
The program is open to any Maine resident 16 or older, and pays participants $18 an hour. Anyone who graduates can be immediately hired after graduation.
The program expanded from two hospitals to five in 2023 to determine “if a fully integrated MaineHealth systemwide approach was feasible,” a system spokesperson told Becker’s.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
