Clay County Hospital’s RN Apprenticeship Program was the first U.S. Department of Labor Registered RN Apprenticeship Program in Illinois. The program was created to build a strong pipeline of nurses in our rural community by allowing students to earn while they learn through education, mentorship, tuition support, and hands-on experience.

Healthcare apprenticeships play a vital role in addressing workforce shortages by creating opportunities for local students to enter healthcare careers while helping rural hospitals recruit, develop, and retain highly skilled caregivers for the future.

Meet Heather Matthews, a member of Clay County Hospital’s third RN Apprenticeship cohort. Heather recently completed the LPN portion of the program and is now entering her final year of nursing school at Frontier Community College while pursuing her ADN.