Nursing shortages make headlines across Virginia and the nation. Virginia Western Community College has a new tool to address those shortages and make nursing school more accessible — the Earn to Learn Nursing Education Acceleration Program.

Virginia Western’s Associate of Applied Science Nursing Program, a pre-licensure RN program, and Carilion Clinic have partnered to implement Earn to Learn in the Roanoke Valley, aiming to transform nurse clinical education and ensure nurses are practice-ready when they graduate.

“The way I describe it is I feel like I’m being trained as a nurse instead of as a student,” said Danielle Ledbetter, one of 22 Virginia Western nursing students who took part in the 2025-26 Earn to Learn cohort.

Five students participated in a pilot program last year after the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) awarded more than $4 million statewide in 2024 to a range of institutions. Those five all became Carilion employees.

The program reaches third-semester nursing students to enhance their clinical experiences, explained Dr. Kelley Pennell, Professor and Coordinator/Administrative Officer of Nursing for Virginia Western’s AAS (prelicensure-RN) Nursing Program.

“Working with these students and seeing the progression from entry-level student to becoming a practice-ready nurse is extremely rewarding,” Pennell said. “Knowing this program will contribute to better-prepared nurses that can provide evidence-based care to promote patient safety and positive patient outcomes is a game changer for associate degree nursing programs.”

Read more about how the Earn to Learn program benefits students and employers.