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Brian Raub strongly believes that nursing stands as the most honorable profession.
At 50 years old, residing in Lebanon, Raub holds a steadfast conviction in this principle, leading him to transition into nursing after a prior career in the wood trades and produce sectors.
The pivotal moment to switch paths arose with his daughter’s encouragement, who pursued nursing through a tuition cost-share program at WellSpan that supported her educational endeavors.
“I had a longstanding desire to enter the healthcare field,” Raub expressed. “So, I took the leap. I abandoned my career and ventured into nursing. Soon after, I was encouraged to pursue further education to become an LPN or an RN because my calling was evident.”
Motivated by the support of his family, friends, and colleagues, Raub enrolled in the part-time LPN program at the Lebanon County Career and Technology Center (CTC) set to commence with around 50 students in September.
While working full-time as a nursing assistant in WellSpan Hospital’s rehab unit, Raub anticipated climbing the career ladder until unexpected news reached him.
An email dated August 22 from CTC’s adult education coordinator, Julia Ansel, informed Raub and his prospective classmates that the part-time LPN class had been canceled by the Joint Operating Committee (JOC), the center’s board of directors. Ansel appeared unaware of the reasons behind the cancellation.
Although the rescheduling of classes seemed promising, both the part-time LPN and full-time nursing classes slated for July were ultimately discontinued, marking the end of a 65-year tradition at the center, as shared by former CTC adult nursing instructor Mark Price.
For further insight, explore here.
VA Entryway.
The demand for nursing is not a recent revelation, as Raub observed through recent television broadcasts.
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Efforts to delve deeper into this crisis locally and gather data on the total number of beds and nursing staff at major healthcare providers were hindered by limited public data sources.
However, some local statistics were uncovered, including details on nursing home beds in the Lebanon Valley. The 2021 report revealed that Lebanon County housed 10 such facilities, accommodating 1,585 nursing residents.
For more insights, proceed to here.
WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital. (File photo)
WellSpan Hospital and Philhaven, owned by WellSpan Health, rank among the top 10 employers in Lebanon County. The healthcare industry faces workforce challenges, prompting strategic initiatives to bolster nursing education programs and sustain the nursing pipeline.
Explore here for additional details.
For more information on Pennsylvania’s healthcare workforce crisis and the initiatives required to address it, refer to here.
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