April 4, 2023

MultiCare

MultiCare Health System is launching a nursing assistant training program. A 2021 survey by the Washington State Hospital Association showed hospitals in Washington need to hire 6,100 new nurses to meet current staffing needs. Other data shows that nearly half of nurses and hospital staff plan to leave the industry in the next few years. MultiCare's new five-week paid training program has an inaugural class of six students training at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital. Participants in the program will be full-time MultiCare employees. Once the students complete training, they will be able to take the state's certification test and become certified nursing assistants (CNAs). The nursing assistants will be placed at a MultiCare hospital based on need. MultiCare is looking to fill up to 200 CNA positions throughout the system. The organization currently works with nursing assistant programs at Tacoma Community College, Bates Technical College in Tacoma, and Sparrow Healthcare Education in Spokane. Participants in the nursing assistant training program need to have a high school diploma or GED, and previous patient care experience is preferred. Classes will run every eight weeks, with the goal of increasing classes to 30 students. Current MultiCare employees are eligible to apply, as well as the public, provided they meet the program requirements. MultiCare Health System is a Washington-based not-for-profit health care organization with 12 hospitals and more than 22,000 team members.