EKU and Humana partner to develop sustainable nursing workforce

RICHMOND, Ky. — EKU’s top-ranked School of Nursing and Humana have partnered to develop a program aimed at helping build a more sustainable nursing workforce. With a $75,000 contribution from Humana and a dollar-for-dollar match from Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund, EKU’s School of Nursing received $150,000 to support innovation and excellence in its healthcare education and training programs.  

Recognizing the various factors influencing a student’s success, EKU’s School of Nursing recently established a CARES (Compassion, Advocacy, Resilience, Empathy, Service) culture, embodying their vision for a nurturing and empowering environment where each student can flourish academically and personally.

Ranked among the Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs by U.S. News & World Report, EKU Nursing boasts a 100% job placement rate at the time of graduation among BSN and Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN) students who are seeking employment prior to graduation. Louisville-based Humana, which employs nearly 10,000 nurses through its health plans, CenterWell-branded direct-care services, and other lines of business, chose to partner with EKU because of the program’s focus on students’ academic and social needs, equipping faculty with the resources and training to address barriers to educational success.   

The program is also designed to extend this philosophy by helping nursing students learn how to identify and address some of these same barriers with their patients once they enter the workforce.

“With the generous support from Humana, we’re equipping our faculty to meet students’ needs and fostering innovation in how we prepare future nurses,” EKU President David McFaddin said. “By guiding our nursing students to success, we create a ripple effect across the Commonwealth—helping students achieve their dreams of a noble career that touches the lives of every patient they care for.”

Gov. Andy Beshear said, “I want to thank Humana for this generous donation. As we continue to welcome more businesses and families to our new Kentucky home, we must make sure everyone can access the healthcare they need. Thanks to innovative partnerships like this one, we see everyone working together—higher education, business and government—to help us strengthen our nursing pipeline for the future.” 

The Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) reports an unprecedented workforce shortage among Kentucky hospitals and healthcare systems with a current shortfall of nearly 4,000 registered nurses. Furthermore, the KHA notes “a significant gap between the number of vacancies and the number of new nurses coming into the profession.” The nursing shortage extends far beyond hospitals to include home health, physician practices, public health clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools and other settings. In 2023, the Kentucky Nurses Association (KNA) predicted a potential shortage of 20,000 nurses in the state by 2025. 

“We know that it takes more than a scholarship to sustain a nursing pipeline. Students face numerous social challenges—transportation barriers, food insecurity, childcare and family responsibilities, as well as personal health concerns—any of which can hamper their chances of success. Humana is excited to support EKU in its efforts to help students overcome these obstacles, and in turn, teach them how to recognize similar obstacles facing their future patients,” Humana Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Kathy Driscoll said.

Dr. Brooke Bentley, chair of EKU’s School of Nursing, added, “These factors can significantly impact our students’ ability to focus on academics. The School of Nursing faculty and staff offer personalized, comprehensive support tailored to the unique needs of each student. Our CARES culture and coaching help students connect with essential campus resources, such as tutoring services, mental health support and other individualized resources, ensuring they have access to the tools and assistance needed to succeed. We believe this holistic approach fosters a stronger sense of self-efficacy and promotes long-term student success.”

EKU’s School of Nursing plans to use part of the Humana and state-matched funds for faculty professional development focused on providing personalized support tailored to the needs of students. The ultimate goal of the professional development programs is to increase student retention, progression and graduation rates—placing more qualified nurses into Kentucky’s workforce. 

The funds will also be used to expand EKU’s nursing simulation center by adding a simulated home environment. This state-of-the-art addition will provide students with hands-on training in assessing their patients’ social determinants of health—the nonmedical factors that influence well-being of their patients. The simulated home environment will ultimately enhance students’ ability to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care in diverse settings, including the growing demands of home healthcare with the state’s aging population. 

With EKU offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing, Driscoll commented, “Not everyone takes the exact same route to nursing, and EKU allows students to personalize their education to their individual situation and sets them up for success. Our CenterWell Home Health division—one of the nation’s largest home health providers—needs an adequately prepared nursing workforce and one that is attuned to the communities that we serve. That’s one reason why we’re so happy to see EKU add a home-health component to its simulation lab. EKU is an ideal partner for Humana in developing a regional workforce that understands the healthcare needs of a region that is often underserved.”