Commitment + Clinical Leadership = Better Outcomes

The Student Success Program helps employees in Saber affiliated communities achieve their dream of becoming an RN or LPN. The Student Success Program offers tuition assistance and real world experience to help those in the program make their aspirations a reality.

Monique Washington, a Charge Nurse at The Willows Health & Rehab Center located in Euclid, Ohio, recently graduated from HONDROS College of Nursing supported by the Student Success Program. We interviewed her to find out more about the Student Success Program and her career growth!

“The Student Success Program helped me obtain my Registered Nurse (RN) license. I’ve been looking to grow in this company, and I’d like to learn more about the management and administrative part of being a nurse. I’ve been enjoying my position at The Willows Health & Rehab, and have been using my newfound knowledge to help out,” Monique said. “I would also like to thank my Director of Nursing, Ericka Crawley, for being my mentor. My husband, Charles, was also a great support in inspiring me to keep going through the program.”

Tell us a little bit about yourself

“I started my healthcare career as an STNA for seven years. In 2010, I obtained my LPN license and worked as a business partner for 14 years. I decided to apply for the Student Success Program, and Sarah, the director of the Student Success program, visited me one day and told me that I had won! I had been wanting to go back to school, and now I am a Registered Nurse,” Washington told us.

Washington told us that she was surprised she was able to qualify for a full scholarship. She said that she had been in school over ten years ago, and she was excited to attend classes at the HONDROS College of Nursing.

How did you learn about the Student Success Program?

“There were flyers hung around the two buildings I had been working at,” Washington said. “The flyers contained a QR code that I scanned to learn more. That’s how I ended up applying,” Washington said.

What tools did the Student Success Program give you to be successful?

“The Student Success Program helped me to stay motivated,” Washington said. “I was glad to receive the financial aid for this opportunity. It has been my dream for a long time to return to school. I still had to buy my books and uniform, but I was determined to keep my grades up to maintain the scholarship. I was extremely successful, and I am so honored to have received this opportunity,” Washington shared.

What is your favorite part about working for The Willows Health & Rehab?

“My favorite part about working here is the residents, and I think we have a nice group here. I also love working at The Willows because everything is clean, and they just updated it. My coworkers are very kind, and I have a nice relationship with them.”

If someone were aspiring to join the healthcare field, what advice would you give them?

“Patience,” Monique told us. “This job involves people’s health and their lives. Oftentimes, many of our residents will have dementia, which means you must approach them differently. You should also have compassion because you need to want to help seniors improve their cognitive skills.”

She also mentioned that communication is an important skill because this job involves working with many different personalities. Sometimes, a nurse at The Willows will interact with many people over the day, and it’s important to communicate with everyone.

“I actually explained this to my son. He recently joined the healthcare field in the long-term care field, and he’s doing a great job,” Monique said.

Name a positive experience since joining the team at The Willows

“One positive experience that I’ve had is staying involved in the activities,” Monique said. “We have an activities area for the residents to interact with each other. We also celebrate holidays and offer events for families to come such as a Thanksgiving meal. I like that the residents are encouraged to stay up and active. It helps them get out of their rooms and explore the world more.”

About the Student Success Program

The Student Success Scholarship Program has awarded over 20 full tuition scholarships since the pilot program was launched in 2021. We are excited to continue to grow our program and help people achieve their dreams!

With this growth, we are excited to announce a new 2024 enhanced version of the now retired scholarship program. This new program is the Loan and Forgiveness Program. The Program is currently looking for affiliated employees who want to obtain their LPN or RN education and in need of tuition assistance.

Some of the benefits for winners chosen to participate in the Loan and Forgiveness Program include:

• The Program will loan the agreed upon tuition/fees and pay the school directly; then forgive the loan after graduation while the employee continues employment
• A full-time/part-time job to support you and help apply what you are learning
• A mentor who can provide support and encouragement

If you are interested in the program, reach out to your local HR representative to see how you can apply. Winners are chosen a few times per year! Student Success programs are subject to change.

Saber Healthcare

Saber Healthcare is an organization that provides consulting services to more than 130 buildings across the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana, and Delaware. To learn more about our company and services, click here.

Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long-term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.