First Anniversary for DHGE’s Nurse Leadership Program Highlights Healthcare Industry’s Tumultuous Year

Shows value of workforce development to help industry meet challenges of today

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--What a difference a year makes; in July 2019, Dignity Health Global Education (DHGE) launched one of the first online leadership programs for nurses in the nation. At the time, the nursing profession was thriving, with more than 3.8M registered nurses and nursing schools that couldn’t keep up with the demand. Today, some six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1.4M healthcare workers, many RNs, have been laid off or furloughed, creating a crisis for the profession and patients.

To meet the needs of today or find new opportunities, many nurses are looking to workforce development programs, especially affordable and flexible online options. These programs can provide the skills employers prefer when making staffing decisions and can help valuable workers retain or gain new positions.

DHGE offers several certificate and degree programs for the healthcare industry, including their flagship, the online Certificate in Nurse Leadership with Duke CE. The anniversary of the program's launch highlights the many changes healthcare workers have experienced in the past year. Most importantly, the experience of the past five months’ spotlight the importance of leadership at all levels to manage ongoing challenges, motivate and encourage colleagues during stressful times, and prevent burnout.

“None of us have ever seen a marketplace like we currently face,” said Patty White, RN, MS, FACHE, the former President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and a faculty member for DHGE’s Certificate in Healthcare Leadership. "Building knowledge and skills is one of the most important steps any healthcare worker, especially mission-critical nurses, can adopt to help them navigate today's demanding and uncertain times."

Students who have been through the Certificate in Nurse Leadership report high levels of satisfaction, especially concerning the practical knowledge provided. 98 percent of students who took the program in July would recommend it. Most importantly, all students who have taken the course in the past year noted that the activities and exercises helped them apply key concepts and embed the learning into their work.

One reason for the high marks the program receives is that all courses are created not only with leading educational institutions but also with noted healthcare leaders from various health systems. “Our courses are created with healthcare, for healthcare,” said Andrew Malley, the CEO of DHGE. “That gives us the ability to go beyond academic knowledge to provide the real-world skills and experiences vital to success.”

The 16-week Nurse Leadership program provides two-years-worth (32 hours) of Continuing Education Units (CEUs). It contains practical applications of the knowledge needed today, including modules highlighting ways to build personal resilience, motivate and coach others, lead change, and think strategically. Other modules focus on hard skills needed by leaders, including budgeting, and navigating regulatory and legal rules.

New features have been added to the program to meet today’s needs. To further expand its value, DHGE has added a Supervisor Guide to enable learners to share the course content with their managers to facilitate support and demonstrate commitment. Additionally, DHGE recently announced flexible pricing, including monthly payment options. DHGE also partners with state nursing associations to provide their members exclusive discounts, most recently completing an agreement with the Oklahoma Nurses Association.

For more information on DHGE and Duke CE’s Certificate in Nurse Leadership, visit https://dhge.org/our-programs/nurse-leadership-certificate-duke-ce/.

About DHGE

Dignity Health Global Education (DHGE) is an independent healthcare workforce development company providing virtual courses in the U.S. and globally. Dedicated to providing customized educational opportunities and a student-centric experience, DHGE develops programs and workforce development solutions with industry, for industry. They achieve this goal by partnering with top-ranked academic institutions and thought-leading industry professionals. Courses offered range from Certificates in Healthcare and Nurse Leadership to degree programs, including a Master of Global Management in Healthcare Services, an RN to BSN, and an MS in Nursing. For more information, visit www.dhge.org.