A new academic-to-practice pipeline seeks to expand the nursing workforce and increase its diversity
Mar 14, 2024, 15:40 PM
<7-min. read> An innovative academic-to-practice pipeline seeks to fuel growth in the nursing workforce and increase its diversity. Read more on the ATI Educator Blog.
Growing the nursing population with an eye toward greater diversity
When Angela Seneadza’s 11-year-old son underwent surgery in late 2023, she found comfort and reassurance where millions of people do every day: in the expert care of nurses. The experience rekindled her interest in nursing, the profession her late mother had practiced and loved.
But Seneadza lives in Ghana, where nursing programs are limited to applicants 35 years and younger. She is 45 years old, and even her 11-year career as a pharmacist does not create an alternate way to a nursing degree in her country.
Seneadza had accepted these circumstances — but not quite pushed the nursing dream out of her mind — when she saw an Instagram post describing a potential path. The reel described a new program to help international students prepare for, and earn admittance to, U.S. nursing education programs.
“As soon as I read about it, I thought ‘Wow, I can complete these prerequisites here in Ghana and then apply to a U.S. nursing program,’” she said. “I was very excited.”
Fast forward several months to March 2024. Seneadza is still working full time as a pharmacist in Ghana, but her goal to become a nurse is in sight. She’s more than halfway through prerequisites and hopes to begin her nursing education in the United States this summer. It’s all thanks to inSpring, the company that posted on Instagram about its mission to grow and intentionally diversify the nursing workforce.
But Seneadza lives in Ghana, where nursing programs are limited to applicants 35 years and younger. She is 45 years old, and even her 11-year career as a pharmacist does not create an alternate way to a nursing degree in her country.
Seneadza had accepted these circumstances — but not quite pushed the nursing dream out of her mind — when she saw an Instagram post describing a potential path. The reel described a new program to help international students prepare for, and earn admittance to, U.S. nursing education programs.
“As soon as I read about it, I thought ‘Wow, I can complete these prerequisites here in Ghana and then apply to a U.S. nursing program,’” she said. “I was very excited.”
Fast forward several months to March 2024. Seneadza is still working full time as a pharmacist in Ghana, but her goal to become a nurse is in sight. She’s more than halfway through prerequisites and hopes to begin her nursing education in the United States this summer. It’s all thanks to inSpring, the company that posted on Instagram about its mission to grow and intentionally diversify the nursing workforce.
The Global Advancement of International Nurses Pipeline Program
Seneadza is one of the first nursing candidates assisted by inSpring as part of its Global Advancement of International Nurses (GAIN) Pipeline Program. The program provides individualized support to bring prospective nurses from initial application through their education programs and into professional practice, said Jason Garbarino, DNP, RN, GERO-BC, CNL, Talent Director for Healthcare at inSpring.
Dr. Garbarino is the former vice chair and undergraduate nursing director at the University of Vermont, and he has a longtime interest in international healthcare. He has participated in multiple medical and nursing missions around the world, and the opportunity to play a part in nursing workforce development worldwide — and to increase diversity in U.S. nursing practice and education — was a key motivator in Dr. Garbarino’s decision to leave full-time academia.
“There are a lot of solutions to the nursing workforce shortage, but one of them needs to be further diversification,” he said. “The degree of diversity within the profession as a whole is really limited. And if you look specifically at who is teaching our nurses — the faculty in our nursing programs — the number of diverse minority faculty is also small.”
Through his meetings with the first candidates for the GAIN program, Dr. Garbarino has observed distinct commonalities. Some, like Seneadza, have established healthcare careers but want to become nurses. Others have a core interest in healthcare but haven’t had the right opportunity to pursue it.
“During my conversations, candidates not only speak to the desire to explore our healthcare system and nursing, but they have this clear goal of reciprocity,” Dr. Garbarino said. “They want to return to their home countries and advance nursing education or nursing practice there.”
Dr. Garbarino is the former vice chair and undergraduate nursing director at the University of Vermont, and he has a longtime interest in international healthcare. He has participated in multiple medical and nursing missions around the world, and the opportunity to play a part in nursing workforce development worldwide — and to increase diversity in U.S. nursing practice and education — was a key motivator in Dr. Garbarino’s decision to leave full-time academia.
“There are a lot of solutions to the nursing workforce shortage, but one of them needs to be further diversification,” he said. “The degree of diversity within the profession as a whole is really limited. And if you look specifically at who is teaching our nurses — the faculty in our nursing programs — the number of diverse minority faculty is also small.”
Through his meetings with the first candidates for the GAIN program, Dr. Garbarino has observed distinct commonalities. Some, like Seneadza, have established healthcare careers but want to become nurses. Others have a core interest in healthcare but haven’t had the right opportunity to pursue it.
“During my conversations, candidates not only speak to the desire to explore our healthcare system and nursing, but they have this clear goal of reciprocity,” Dr. Garbarino said. “They want to return to their home countries and advance nursing education or nursing practice there.”
Rigorous admission requirements and ATI assessments help ensure student success
inSpring identifies potential nursing candidates using a combination of methods. In addition to organically connecting with people who have an established interest in nursing, inSpring's global team of recruiters seeks out prospective candidates who have the academic foundation and aptitudes to be successful.
Only candidates who have earned a baccalaureate degree can apply to the program. If accepted, they must complete prerequisite nursing courses (usually online) and progress through ATI study resources and assessments that ensure academic readiness for nursing school.
ATI Nursing Education supports the GAIN Pipeline Program as a partner to inSpring. This collaboration grew out of Dr. Garbarino’s experience with ATI solutions at the University of Vermont.
“As director of the undergraduate program at UVM when the Next Generation NCLEX was announced, one of the initial things I did was develop a task force of faculty to examine the prep tools in the market,” he said. “It was clear that we wanted to maintain a relationship with ATI, and we actually increased our utilization at that time. Given our students’ performance and their success in preparation for Next Gen, I knew when I joined inSpring that I wanted these supports in place.”
Through its partnership with ATI, inSpring provides all GAIN candidates with the TEAS SmartPrep package, which applies ATI algorithms to assess proficiency in the subject areas that are assessed for entry into a nursing program. TEAS SmartPrep then delivers lessons targeted to each learner’s specific needs.
Research and extensive data analysis show that utilizing this preparation and testing package before admission increases nursing student success. This provides a level of assuredness that inSpring — and thousands of nursing programs and nursing candidates — values.
“There’s a very small window of time between when our students graduate and when they need to start working from a visa and immigration perspective, so it's really important to us that they succeed on the NCLEX the first time,” Dr. Garbarino said. “The TEAS SmartPrep package helps us ensure that we're finding the best prepared talent to come to the United States and succeed.”
Ongoing academic support plays an important role in assisting students in the GAIN program. After completing SmartPrep, inSpring facilitates the placement of students in ABSN programs at partner universities, where they complete their nursing education in 12 to 16 months.
As of spring 2024, inSpring has partnerships with Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in Boston and University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan. The program plans to expand its partnerships with additional schools in the future, Dr. Garbarino said.
Only candidates who have earned a baccalaureate degree can apply to the program. If accepted, they must complete prerequisite nursing courses (usually online) and progress through ATI study resources and assessments that ensure academic readiness for nursing school.
ATI Nursing Education supports the GAIN Pipeline Program as a partner to inSpring. This collaboration grew out of Dr. Garbarino’s experience with ATI solutions at the University of Vermont.
“As director of the undergraduate program at UVM when the Next Generation NCLEX was announced, one of the initial things I did was develop a task force of faculty to examine the prep tools in the market,” he said. “It was clear that we wanted to maintain a relationship with ATI, and we actually increased our utilization at that time. Given our students’ performance and their success in preparation for Next Gen, I knew when I joined inSpring that I wanted these supports in place.”
Through its partnership with ATI, inSpring provides all GAIN candidates with the TEAS SmartPrep package, which applies ATI algorithms to assess proficiency in the subject areas that are assessed for entry into a nursing program. TEAS SmartPrep then delivers lessons targeted to each learner’s specific needs.
Research and extensive data analysis show that utilizing this preparation and testing package before admission increases nursing student success. This provides a level of assuredness that inSpring — and thousands of nursing programs and nursing candidates — values.
“There’s a very small window of time between when our students graduate and when they need to start working from a visa and immigration perspective, so it's really important to us that they succeed on the NCLEX the first time,” Dr. Garbarino said. “The TEAS SmartPrep package helps us ensure that we're finding the best prepared talent to come to the United States and succeed.”
Ongoing academic support plays an important role in assisting students in the GAIN program. After completing SmartPrep, inSpring facilitates the placement of students in ABSN programs at partner universities, where they complete their nursing education in 12 to 16 months.
As of spring 2024, inSpring has partnerships with Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in Boston and University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan. The program plans to expand its partnerships with additional schools in the future, Dr. Garbarino said.
Students are supported as they assimilate into U.S. communities and the nursing workforce
To ensure the success of international students, inSpring provides multiple supports. Once a candidate is admitted to a nursing program, inSpring works with the academic institution to identify housing arrangements and plan for introduction to the community.
“We spend a lot of time ensuring that the programs we're sending students to have knowledge and the skills to support international students,” Dr. Garbarino said. “The immigration and visa process is complicated for students to navigate on their own. We assist our academic partners with this.”
inSpring’s approach is comprehensive, he explained. “It’s not just assisting them in succeeding in nursing programs — it's also about providing support in areas that help them start their nursing practice. We will provide robust new grad orientations, helping them to get acculturated and assimilated into the hospital healthcare system environment as well.”
Academic and workplace partners for the GAIN program are carefully selected. Dr. Garbarino said inSpring considers issues such as the presence of affinity groups and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The company’s emphasis on these issues stems from the founders’ experience in international recruitment. They formed inSpring to focus on gaps in nursing and technology in the United States, and they are familiar with the need to help students feel at ease.
“We look for these characteristics in our academic partners, but also in our health system partners,” he said. “In comparison to staffing agencies that are in most cases not permanent hire, we’re really looking for opportunities for our people to develop roots in these areas and become longstanding employees of these healthcare systems.”
“We spend a lot of time ensuring that the programs we're sending students to have knowledge and the skills to support international students,” Dr. Garbarino said. “The immigration and visa process is complicated for students to navigate on their own. We assist our academic partners with this.”
inSpring’s approach is comprehensive, he explained. “It’s not just assisting them in succeeding in nursing programs — it's also about providing support in areas that help them start their nursing practice. We will provide robust new grad orientations, helping them to get acculturated and assimilated into the hospital healthcare system environment as well.”
Academic and workplace partners for the GAIN program are carefully selected. Dr. Garbarino said inSpring considers issues such as the presence of affinity groups and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The company’s emphasis on these issues stems from the founders’ experience in international recruitment. They formed inSpring to focus on gaps in nursing and technology in the United States, and they are familiar with the need to help students feel at ease.
“We look for these characteristics in our academic partners, but also in our health system partners,” he said. “In comparison to staffing agencies that are in most cases not permanent hire, we’re really looking for opportunities for our people to develop roots in these areas and become longstanding employees of these healthcare systems.”
For international students, U.S. academic opportunities can bring a dream within reach
As Seneadza studies developmental psychology and nutrition texts to complete her prerequisites, her excitement about becoming a nurse is growing. After many years, her goal finally feels within reach.
Seneadza first expressed an interest in nursing after high school. “My mother had told me so many stories about nursing, and it interested me very much,” she said. “But in my culture, your parents guide you and choose what they feel is best for you to pursue. She told me, ‘You’re going to do pharmacy.’ And that was that.”
Although she has enjoyed her 11 years as a pharmacist, Seneadza said the growing responsibilities that come with her level of experience have insulated her from the patient contact she craves.
“I don’t get the chance to talk to patients on-one-one, empathizing with them and putting a smile on their faces,” she said. “I want to be more involved.”
Seneadza said her husband, a banker, is supportive of her career change and looking forward to experiencing life in the United States. The couple have three sons, ages 15, 12, and 9, who have wondered aloud “why mommy is learning so much.” She said she’ll share news about the family’s relocation after she officially earns admittance to a program, and that she expects them to be excited.
For Seneadza, the nursing profession blooms with possibility. “I’m looking forward to learning about the many different nursing specialties — it looks like there are so many things to choose from,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to the new technology we do not have here. That will be very interesting.”
She expressed appreciation for the opportunities she sees on the horizon, and said she looks forward to eventually bringing her new expertise back to her home country.
“I'm really excited that no one says I can't do this because of my age,” she said. “When I finish my nursing degree, I think I would like to get some experience in the U.S. for a while. Then when I come back to Ghana, I'll be able to apply what I've learned.
Seneadza first expressed an interest in nursing after high school. “My mother had told me so many stories about nursing, and it interested me very much,” she said. “But in my culture, your parents guide you and choose what they feel is best for you to pursue. She told me, ‘You’re going to do pharmacy.’ And that was that.”
Although she has enjoyed her 11 years as a pharmacist, Seneadza said the growing responsibilities that come with her level of experience have insulated her from the patient contact she craves.
“I don’t get the chance to talk to patients on-one-one, empathizing with them and putting a smile on their faces,” she said. “I want to be more involved.”
Seneadza said her husband, a banker, is supportive of her career change and looking forward to experiencing life in the United States. The couple have three sons, ages 15, 12, and 9, who have wondered aloud “why mommy is learning so much.” She said she’ll share news about the family’s relocation after she officially earns admittance to a program, and that she expects them to be excited.
For Seneadza, the nursing profession blooms with possibility. “I’m looking forward to learning about the many different nursing specialties — it looks like there are so many things to choose from,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to the new technology we do not have here. That will be very interesting.”
She expressed appreciation for the opportunities she sees on the horizon, and said she looks forward to eventually bringing her new expertise back to her home country.
“I'm really excited that no one says I can't do this because of my age,” she said. “When I finish my nursing degree, I think I would like to get some experience in the U.S. for a while. Then when I come back to Ghana, I'll be able to apply what I've learned.