Dobson, NC – May 23, 2023 –The first youth apprentice program for registered nurses in North Carolina has culminated this year in 14 local students committing to apprenticeships at Northern Regional Hospital in Mount Airy and an additional five signing to continue their employment with Northern Regional Hospital through the Surry-Yadkin Works program at a signing event on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, held at Surry Community College.
Dr. David Shockley, President of Surry Community College, Surry-Yadkin Works board member, and Northern Regional Hospital Board member, offered opening remarks at the event praising the Nursing Program at Surry Community College and the successful partnership with Surry Yadkin-Works and Northern Regional Hospital.
“The Youth Apprenticeship program has developed even more amazingly than we could have dreamed,” said Robin Hodgin, Senior Vice President of Patient Services & Chief Nursing Officer at Northern Regional Hospital. “We have been truly blessed with this group of students, a group that our staff has grown to love and appreciate. We enjoyed seeing their smiling faces each day, not to mention their eagerness to learn new skills. We know these young ladies have very bright futures ahead, and we hope those futures return them to Northern Regional Hospital.”
The apprentices who signed are Abigail Arce, a graduate of Surry Central High School; Sidney Castillo, a graduate of East Surry High School; Summara Euart a graduate of North Surry High School; Natalee Frazier, a graduate of North Surry High School; Jerika Garcia, a North Surry High School graduate; Fatima Gonzalez, a Surry Central High School graduate; Emily Gutierrez, a graduate of Mount Airy High School; Katelien “Taylor” Haynes, a graduate of Surry Central High School; Taylor Heath, a graduate of Surry Central High School; Nadia Hernandez, a graduate of North Surry High School; Abigail Hodges, a graduate of Millennium Charter Academy; Brianna McMillian, a graduate of North Surry High School; Evelyn Ruedisueli, a graduate of East Surry High School; and Isabella Seal, a graduate of East Surry High School.
Also, the following Surry-Yadkin Works apprentices working at Northern Regional Hospital (NRH) signed with NRH as PRN nurses at the event. (“PRN” stands for the Latin phrase “Pro re nata,” meaning “as needed,” and “occasionally.”): Erin Brendle, a graduate of East Surry High School; Claire Hardy, a graduate of East Surry High School; Hailey Penn, a graduate of East Surry High School; Angelle Phipps, a graduate of East Surry High School; and Marissa McCann, a graduate of Surry Central High School.
PRN Nurse Angelle Phipps, said, “I love interacting and connecting with the patients at Northern Regional Hospital to make their stay better. I have experienced so much here, and I hope to learn more. My passion in life is to be there for others in their time of need, help them recover to their full potential, and make a difference in their lives.”
Carrie McKeaver, previously in the Surry Yadkin Works Apprentice Program at Northern Regional Hospital, completed her Apprenticeship and received her associate degree in nursing (ADN) at Surry Community College, and has accepted a Registered Nurse position in the Med/Surg unit at Northern Regional Hospital.
Eryn O’Neal completed her Surry Yadkin Works Apprenticeship at Northern Regional Hospital and received her ADN at Surry Community College and has accepted a NICU RN position.
Annsley Puckett completed her Surry Yadkin Works Apprenticeship at Northern Regional Hospital and received her ADN at Surry Community College and has accepted an ICU RN position.
This special opportunity is a part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program and the state’s ApprenticeshipNC program through the N.C. Community College System Office that combines a paid work-based learning experience with classroom academics leading to a national certification. These students will earn free tuition for the Associate Degree in Nursing program at a North Carolina community college to become registered nurses.
The students began their paid pre-apprenticeships January 16 and worked through May 19, 2023 as certified nursing assistants and patient care technicians. They received high school or college credit for their employment along with a stipend each month for travel expenses through Surry Yadkin Works and were paid by Northern Regional Hospital.
“The partnership that Surry-Yadkin Works has established with Northern Regional Hospital is incredibly exciting for our local students as they are connected early in their educational journey to the hospital, so they can explore career paths,” said Crystal Folger-Hawks, Program Director of Surry-Yadkin Works. “If it is a good fit, students can continue working at Northern Regional Hospital, while their college education is paid for through the ApprenticeshipNC program. This is a win-win for the business and students, and I am proud to be a part of this endeavor.”
For more information about Apprenticeships at Northern Regional Hospital, visit wearenorthern.org/careers or email hrhelp@wearenorthern.org.
Surry-Yadkin Works is the first community-based internship program of its kind in North Carolina, officially beginning on January 1, 2021, covering a two-county region. The program has hit the ground running with 50 students being placed in internships for the Spring 2021 semester. Surry-Yadkin Works is the collaborative effort of four public school systems in Surry and Yadkin counties including Elkin City Schools, Mount Airy City Schools, Surry County Schools, and Yadkin County Schools, as well as Surry Community College, to create an innovative and unique approach to a regional internship program. The funding is also a joint effort with commitments from the Surry County Commissioners and the Yadkin County Commissioners. For more information about the Surry-Yadkin Works program, contact Crystal Folger-Hawks, Surry-Yadkin Works Program Director, at (336) 401-7820 or folger-hawksc@surry.edu or visit www.surryyadkinworks.org.
About Northern Regional Hospital
Northern Regional Hospital, a 133-bed hospital, is an independently operated, award-winning facility with outpatient service locations including physician specialists, pharmacy, and a fitness center. Northern Medical Group is the hospital’s network of primary care and specialty providers delivering a comprehensive array of services to meet the needs of the community. Northern Regional Hospital is a certified Stroke Center of Excellence and has been recognized for distinction in patient safety and quality. Northern is rated a 5-Star Hospital by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. The state-of-the art Surgery Center houses a wide range of inpatient and outpatient procedures including orthopedics, gynecology, gastroenterology, urological, surgeries of the eye, and other general surgeries. Founded in 1957, Northern Regional Hospital is located in Mount Airy, North Carolina and serves the northwest Piedmont region of NC and neighboring counties in southwest Virginia. For more information visit www.choosenorthern.org.
Surry-Yadkin Works
The mission of Surry-Yadkin Works is to support the economic vitality of the region by matching interns with business partners to meet the needs of the community. Elkin City Schools, Mount Airy City Schools, Surry County Schools, and Yadkin County Schools along with Surry Community College will prepare students for work-based learning, assist with industry-recognized credentials, and aid in enrolling in career and technical college courses. In addition, we will provide mutually beneficial links between students and employers with the goal of increasing skilled workers in our community.
