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Henry Ford Health System Opens Nursing Program
to All Displaced Auto Workers
DETROIT – Henry Ford Health System, in partnership with Oakland University, has opened up its nursing program to all displaced auto workers affected by the recent downsizings.
Originally, the program had been limited to Ford Motor Co. displaced workers. Henry Ford and Oakland University agreed to open the program to displaced workers at General Motors Corp. and Daimler/Chrysler.
“It’s the right thing to do,” says Jeraldine Jackson, administrator of Nursing Development at Henry Ford. “Health care is the fastest-growing industry in Michigan and nurses are needed. Nursing is a fulfilling career option for those who are compassionate and caring and committed to learning.”
For the first time, the U.S. Department of Labor has identified registered nursing as the top occupation in terms of job growth through the year 2012.
People interested in learning more about the program are invited to two upcoming open houses at Henry Ford’s Corporate Offices, located at 1 Ford Place between Second and Third streets in Detroit’s New Center Area. Attendees should bring to the meeting a copy of their college transcripts and a buyout letter from their employer. The meetings will be held:
• 1 – 4 p.m. Friday, March 2.
• Noon – 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 13.
Under the year-round program, students would attend Oakland University in Rochester for their academic courses and receive their clinical training at one of three Henry Ford hospitals: Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital in Wyandotte or Henry Ford Bi-County Hospital in Warren.
The path to a new career could be achieved in as little as three years, depending on a student’s prior education background. The program has two tracks:
• Students who already have a four-year science-related degree can advance immediately into a one-year nursing curriculum.
• Students with little or no prior college education can enroll in a three-year curriculum.
At the completion of each track, students would earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing and, after completing the registered nurse licensure exam, have a job waiting for them at Henry Ford, the fastest-growing health care system in Michigan.
Jackson says the program aims to assist those looking for a career change, while addressing the nursing shortage. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that more than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2012.
“It’s another way for us to be proactive and pump the pipeline with registered nurses in the community,” Jackson says.
For more information about the program, call Henry Ford Nursing Development at (313) 874-6784 or Oakland University’s School of Nursing at (248) 370-4510.
