A new partnership between two Atlanta institutions has formed as a way to create a solid pipeline of skilled nursing talent. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s making careers in long-term care look more appealing, too. 

“We’re dispelling a lot of myths that stop young people from pursuing careers in long-term care,” Deke Cateau, CEO of A.G. Rhodes, one-half of the partnership, told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. “The reality of our healthcare system is, young people look at hospitals and more acute settings as more attractive, and we want to change that. We want to show that nursing home careers can be just as fulfilling”

The collaboration with Georgia State University’s Gerontology Institute gives master’s degree students the opportunity to gain critical working experience as they pursue their studies. After passing the NCLEX exam, they can get right to work. 

Cateau has worked side by side with Gerontology Institute director Jennifer Craft Morgan on several projects throughout the years. So, when the concept of the Scholars With A.G. Rhodes at GSU program came up during a casual conversation, joining forces was a no-brainer.  

“We were talking about our issues, and in my case, that was the labor shortage and the inability to attract talent,” Cateau said. “Jennifer was also discussing the fact that she has so many international students in her program that have a passion for the industry. So we thought, hey, what better way for us to hardwire this?”

It made sense. International workers make up a large portion of the LTC industry – 19% is the national average. But in Cateau’s community, it’s more than double that at 40%. 

A Trinidadian transplant himself, Cateau understands the importance of providers granting opportunities, regardless of demographics.

“We would not be able to do what we do now without the presence of immigrant workers. I was not born in the United States, and I grew to be CEO of the organization,” Cateau said. “That in itself shows the role that legal immigration can play in our nation’s nursing homes.”

Learning on the job

The six scholars in the opening cohort received first dibs on A.G Rhodes’ new 130-resident Cobbs County campus. There, they gain up to 16 hours of hands-on experience each week, including working directly with the DON. 

“They will be working on quality improvement projects. We need a fresh set of eyes and ideas on some of the pressing issues that we have in nursing homes,” Cateau said. “And with our quality improvement process, comes learning the regulatory culture of nursing homes. That includes [attending] our weekly Medicare meetings, daily stand-ups and other interdisciplinary team meetings.”

Ultimately, the program is undoing a lot of what COVID did. The pandemic added unneeded strain to the worldwide nursing shortage by pushing talent out of LTC, and healthcare altogether. 

“We need direct care workers, but we also need administrators, social workers, people in our finance departments and CEOs,” Cateau said. “And, quite honestly, we don’t see much of that in the industry from minority groups and immigrant groups. So this is an opportunity to show what is possible.”