Giving employees educational tools to thrive

From bedside to business office: how Ardent Health Services creates a supportive work environment by offering learning opportunities for its staff

Ardent, a 30-hospital system based in Nashville, TN, was interested in expanding the ways it supports its staff. In recognition of the challenges that have become commonplace throughout healthcare – high rates of staff burnout, widespread turnover and the costs associated with training new employees – Ardent wanted to be proactive.

In search of a solution, Ardent leadership surveyed its employees. Leadership wanted to understand what measures they could take to make sure employees had what they needed to feel supported and provide the best care possible. They learned that the majority of their employees were interested in upskilling and pathways to degree programs to advance in their careers. With this feedback in hand, Ardent turned to Workforce Edge to provide learning and training opportunities, thanks to the Strategic Education portfolio of education solutions.

Rachael Frija, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, corporate director of clinical education at Ardent Health Services and Adele Webb, executive dean of healthcare initiatives, Strategic Education, recently discussed Ardent’s approach and how it has helped the system solve many of its staffing challenges while fostering a healthy work environment.

The state of the industry

Nationally, we’re in the middle of a staffing crisis. According to ManpowerGroup’s 2024 Global Talent Shortage report, 70% of employers in the U.S. report difficulty in filling roles.

“We need to think critically about how we can support our care providers and help them continue to find satisfaction in their work,” explains Webb. “Doing so can help with retention while improving patient care.”

Given this need, health systems are focusing on how they can ensure healthy, safe and thriving environments by implementing the six AACN healthy work environment standards. They include skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision-making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition and authentic leadership.

Solutions for employee and organizational goals

Ardent implemented educational solutions to foster a culture of learning so employees can easily and affordably obtain job-relevant skills while upskilling in areas they were interested in. This helped foster an effective retention strategy.

“We wanted to see how we could be a better partner in creating a healthy work environment,” says Frija. “For example, one of the areas we saw where we were lacking is that we didn’t have opportunities for educational and professional development for our nonclinical staff the way we have for our clinical staff.”

When Ardent communicated with its nonclinical staff, they learned those teams were as interested in learning and development opportunities as their clinical counterparts. Throughout the process, the lesson became clear: Ardent employees overall were interested in more access to education, training and credentials. Not only can these programs help employees expand their skills, they can also help workers achieve their career goals.

It’s a trend within health care organizations and the workforce in general. A recent survey conducted by Strategic Education found that 74% of employees who say their employers do not provide upskilling opportunities also say they would pursue them if provided. Also, 91% of employees believe employers should be investing in their continued education. The expectation that employers should be investing in employees’ continued education has grown 8 percentage points in the last 2 years, up from 83% in 2022 and 87% in 2023.

“We’ve seen at hospitals around the country the difference that education can make – the role it can play in supporting employees and their goals,” says Webb.

An ongoing success story

“One of the reasons I wanted to create a partnership with Strategic Education was that they offered nursing and non-nursing degrees. We saw a great opportunity to close the gaps we saw,” says Frija.

Through its relationship with Workforce Edge, Ardent was also able to grow its collaboration with Strayer and Capella universities, affiliates of Strategic Education, to offer tuition assistance in the form of Tuition Assistance Aligned Pricing (TAAP). This pricing structure can provide tuition-covered degree programs by matching the program’s tuition costs to what the employer already provides for educational assistance, creating a win-win for both the employer and employee.

The net effect is an increase in the number of employees that participate in Ardent’s education programs. In fact, within six months of implementing TAAP, Ardent saw a 100% increase in new enrollment and an 84% increase in applications for Capella degree programs. Ardent has seen nurses gravitate toward Capella given the university’s robust presence in the health care industry, enabling strong career growth for its clinical staff.

increase in new enrollment	increase in applications for Capella degree programs

As Ardent looks toward the future, it continues to focus on the needs of employees. Frija explains that “we know if we provide educational opportunities and career pathways for our people, the work becomes more than just a job. It enculturates people to their company and makes them want to be a part of that team and create a career here.”

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