In an effort to build a pipeline of nursing assistants, Lorien Health Services, a family-owned assisted living and nursing home company and industry innovator based in Maryland, held its third annual “Signing Day.”
The event celebrated 17 Howard County Public School students’ decision as the next generation of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA)/Geriatric Nursing Assistants (GNA) to join Lorien. This is the third time Lorien hosted the event for high school students and their families, which is a play-off on star athletes declaring at news conferences what university they will attend.
“Signing Day is such an exciting event for the students and their families as we celebrate the students’ decision to enter the field of nursing,” said Lou Grimmel Sr., CEO of Lorien Health Services. “Howard County Public Schools has been an extraordinary partner as we look to develop a pipeline of talented individuals interested in working at Lorien.”
Stephanie Discepolo of the Apprenticeship Maryland Program for Howard County Public Schools, called Signing Day a “success.”
“We’re so happy to continue this great tradition,” she said. “We have seen a big increase in interested students who want to participate in the program and ultimately enter the healthcare field after high school.”
Senior living communities, nursing homes, and hospitals across the country are facing a major nursing shortage with the state having just 8.08 nurses per 1,000 people, which is below the 9.22 average for the U.S. It puts Maryland in the bottom 10 states on a nurse-to-population ratio, according to the publication, NurseJournal.
Not only is there a shortage of nurses, but also one of nursing assistants.
In response, Lorien is doubling its efforts to connect with students in high school about careers in nursing and by supporting their efforts to become CNAs and GNAs, and introducing them to other various positions like Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN), Dietary, Activities, Human Resources, and even Marketing.
“Lorien has been such an important partner for the Apprenticeship Maryland Program because they offer students the ability to learn and work in the healthcare field while still in high school, but also providing them with jobs and continued learning after they graduate”, Discepolo said. “We hope to continue to partner with Lorien to offer more students opportunities to earn their CNA and GNA certifications in the future”.
About Lorien Health Services
Lorien Health Services is a family-owned and operated Assisted Living and Nursing Home organization that was founded on strong family values. Lorien continues to conduct itself in accordance with those values which also extend to our residents, their family members, and our dedicated employees. Our goal is to exceed the expectations of the people we touch by providing patient-centered care utilizing the latest in healthcare technology to attain the finest outcomes for our residents. Lorien Health Services was founded in 1977 by the same family that continues to lead the company today. Their mission and vision remain as they did then. For more information visit https://www.lorienhealth.com/about-lorien.
