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Willow Rudolph always knew she wanted to be a nurse. Willow’s grandmother, Shirley, is a nurse of 44 years who owns and manages a nursing home in Willow’s hometown of Madison, VA. Growing up, Willow would accompany Shirley to work.  

On Willow’s 18th birthday, she applied for a job at UVA Health and was hired as an Access Associate in November 2021. Willow was the youngest team member at UVA Health’s Urology Clinic.  

After a year and a half at UVA Health, Willow was scrolling on Workday and saw a position for Nurse Assistant Trainee or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in the Earn While You Learn (EWYL) Program.  

Beth Mehring, MSN, RN, EWYL Manager, explains the goal of program: "Earn While You Learn is designed to provide training to individuals who have no healthcare training. We hire them with full-time benefits, full-time salary, 40 hours a week, from day one. We ensure — typically in collaboration with [Piedmont Virginia Community College] — that all the educational expenses are covered, so there's no debt, no loans, or any of those factors that have been barriers to prior training."  

With only three days remaining until the application deadline, Willow called her manager who encouraged her to apply.  

Moving to More Direct Patient Care  

As an entry-level member of the patient's healthcare team, CNAs provide important patient-centered care and tasks under the supervision of licensed nursing staff. CNA trainees are hired with no prior experience other than a high school diploma or equivalent, and UVA pays program participants a full-time salary, benefits, and expenses for training.  

The CNA coursework is included in trainee work hours. CNA students spend 40 hours per week in the educational setting and one day per week in the clinical setting with an instructor. Once CNA trainees complete the program, they interview and are hired into one of UVA Health’s clinical care departments.  

Wendy Horton, PharmD, MBA, FACHE, CEO of UVA Health University Medical Center explains how the EWYL program is mutually beneficial for patients and team members: “It has been exciting to see the possibilities of this program for both UVA and the community at large: enabling more patients to be cared for and putting careers in healthcare within reach for community members.” 

Willow began the CNA program in January 2023 and was assigned to 3 East. She completed the coursework and training, and successfully passed her test and skills evaluation in October 2023. Willow was officially a CNA. 

As Willow recalls, “I went and got a new badge, and I also got a raise! The best part was I could do a lot more direct patient care.”  

From CNA to PCT  

As a CNA on 3 East, Willow monitored patient vitals, documented care, and communicated with patients and their families. She also became a preceptor for new CNAs.  

Two months later in December 2023, like many CNAs at UVA Health, Willow went on to become a Patient Care Technician (PCT). UVA Health provides CNAs with free PCT training on more advanced skills such as drawing blood, performing EKGs, and assisting with medical procedures. 

As a PCT, Willow received another new badge and raise.  

“Aside from getting experience and great pay raises, I went from my front desk job to a CNA job, to a PCT job. Throughout this all, I was paid for full-time work and never took a pay cut,” Willow explains.  

Focused on the Finish Line  

While climbing the ranks from CNA to PCT, Willow remained focused on the finish line—she wanted to accomplish her dream of becoming a registered nurse (RN).  

In April 2024, while working in the Surgical Admissions Suite, Willow learned that UVA Health, in collaboration with Piedmont Virginia Community College, will offer the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing and subsequent NCLEX-RN licensure within the Earn While You Learn Program beginning in August 2024. The nursing program lasts for two years (four semesters). Upon program completion, graduates are eligible to apply for licensure as a registered nurse after successfully passing the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. 

Willow applied immediately. 

“It’s hard to believe. I was praying about how I could handle full-time school and a full-time job. One day I opened an email from UVA Health, and it said: welcome to UVA Health’s Earn While You Learn RN program.”  

Five years after she began as an Access Associate at UVA Health, Willow — and 19 other UVA Health classmates who are also enrolled in the inaugural RN program — will graduate in May 2026 as a RN.  

“Earn While You Learn has opened so many doors for me. I had no idea what I was signing up for when I first began the program. All I knew was this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I had to do it!” 

To date, over 483 team members have successfully completed training through EWYL, achieving an impressive 77% completion rate. With the provision of paid full-time salaries and benefits during training, followed by seamless transitions into permanent positions at the University Medical Center, EWYL has become a model for effective solutions that positively impact patients, UVA Health team members, and the community. 

Learn more about the Earn While You Learn program.