Unitek employee shines light on nurse recruitment in rural Nevada
Unitek Learning is thrilled to announce that Dr. Victoria Rondez Squier, the Practical Nursing Program Director in Reno, Nevada, has been highlighted as a pioneering leader in the Nevada Nursing Association (NNA) Newsletter. Access to healthcare is one of the biggest challenges that rural communities face. With a deficit of more than 5,000 nurses in the state, Nevada rural communities are greatly impacted by the nation-wide nursing shortage. One of Dr. Squier’s primary goals is to break down barriers that are faced by educators and practitioners in these areas.
“We are so proud of Dr. Squier’s work in rural nurse recruitment,” said Janis Paulson, Chief Executive Officer at Unitek Learning. “Through government-funded grants and incentives for career development, this call-to-action could help combat workforce shortage crises and better support communities across Nevada. We believe equity, inclusion, and innovation are vital when it comes to supporting the future of healthcare.”
The Nevada nursing community now has an additional partner to help retain more nurses. Joseph Filippi, Jr., the Workforce Program Manager with the Nevada Rural Hospital Partners, manages the Nurse Apprentice Program (NAP) Grant, which is funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury American Rescue Plan ACT (ARPA). According to the NNA newsletter, a grant of $20,000,000 has been allotted to the NAP to attract nursing students in Nevada. These targeted regions include rural critical access hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.
“Additional training around research and advocacy may be necessary to obtain new hires,” said Dr. Squier, Practical Nursing Program Director at Unitek College. “The NAP is a partnership opportunity that begins to address the unique needs of our nurses in remote communities. When I think about these nursing prospects, I am so excited for the future of healthcare and nurses in rural areas. It is truly an honor to represent Unitek and advocate our shared purpose, vision, and core values.”
Dr. Victoria Rondez Squier, DNP, MSN, RN, CNL, NE-BC, EBP-C, is a results-driven leader with more than 16 years of experience in acute care. Some of her areas of expertise include orthopedics, oncology, telemetry, pediatrics, telehealth, and leadership. Throughout her career, Dr. Squier has served as a nurse leader who is passionate about preparing future generations of nurses. In addition, she is the president elect of the Nevada Nurses Association (NNA) in District 1. Dr. Squier is now the Practical Nursing Program Director for Unitek College in Reno, Nevada.
Unitek Learning is the parent company of several distinguished learning institutions: Unitek College, Unitek EMT, Eagle Gate College, Provo College, and Brookline College. Unitek programs teach the clinical practices and theory used in the field today. Equipped with a multitude of sought-after skills, Unitek graduates are prepared to excel in many of the fastest-growing careers in healthcare and nursing.