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It began around the kitchen table, as plans for the future often do. Eighteen-year-old Arianna Jimenez and 20-year-old Dylan Bartley both had considered a career in healthcare — someday. But the married couple wasn’t sure how or when they would be able to make this goal a reality.

Until, that is, they had dinner with Arianna’s father, John Jimenez, MSN, BSN, RN. “We were eating dinner and John mentioned the Earn While You Learn (EWYL) program,” says Dylan. “Arianna and I both hopped on the computer and signed up that night.”

John has been a nurse for 8 years and is a Pediatric Clinical Instructor at UVA School of Nursing. “I’m always looking for opportunities for others,” he says. 

This opportunity just happened to be the right fit for his kids. “When my kids mentioned that they had an interest in healthcare, I knew Earn While You Learn was a perfect way to start their careers,” he says. “I think it’s better to have patient experience, to start from the bottom and learn from the people you work with.” 

Hands-On From Day 1

Learn, they did. Dylan and Arianna began the six-week EWYL program in June. Two days a week, they paired up with other experienced CNAs on the floor, who helped train them in best practices. “The CNA partners were so welcoming,” says Arianna. “They were more than happy to answer questions.”

Dylan adds, “I worked with a lot of CNAs and they all did things a different way, so I took bits and pieces from everyone and absorbed all I could.”

Being put right to work with patients gave them both a reality check. And it made them even more excited about their futures. 

“They came to me and said, ‘Oh my gosh, we knew this was going to be different, but we never thought it was going to be this intense. It’s so good, we cannot wait to learn more’,” says John. “Dylan, especially, was really excited. He said, ‘I have so much respect for everyone who works here, and I can’t wait to do this. I understand now the things you share with us. These experiences push us to want to do more and be more.’”

Partners in Practice

In addition to working 12-hour shifts at the hospital, Arianna and Dylan took classes virtually and on-site at Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center (CATEC), and completed clinicals at Our Lady of Peace retirement community in Charlottesville. When it came time to practice the skills they’d learned, they leaned on each other. 

“If one of us was unsure about something, we would talk it through,” says Dylan. “We quizzed each other while we were making dinner and we practiced skills we learned at home.”

Sometimes these practice sessions made all the difference. “When we practiced on each other, Dylan would make a joke about something so I’d remember that during the exam. It made it a lot easier having someone there to help out.”

On the Road to an RN

Now graduates of the EWYL program, Dylan and Arianna are working as CNAs while pursuing their next goal: an RN degree. Both credit the program for giving them the jumpstart they needed to enter the healthcare field. 

“I was a little cautious about going into the hospital before,” says Arianna. “This allowed me to see what it’s like. I would’ve gone into nursing eventually, but this gave me the confidence I needed to move forward.”

For Dylan, the program showed him what he was capable of. “It gave me the sense that you can balance work and studying and get everything done,” he says. “It’s led me to be able to work at UVA and go to college for nursing. This program has helped me in more than one way.”

Know someone who’s interested in entering the healthcare field? Tell them about EWYL!