Nurse Apprenticeship Program Offers Students Paid Clinical Experience

For Auburn University nursing students like Nolan Bennett and Skylar Crews, learning goes beyond the classroom. As members of East Alabama Health’s Nurse Apprenticeship Program, they are gaining hands-on experience caring for patients while earning a paycheck, receiving tuition assistance and completing required clinical hours. 

East Alabama Health’s Nurse Apprenticeship Program offers ambitious nursing students an unmatched pathway into the nursing profession. Through personalized training, apprentices receive one-on-one mentorship from experienced nurses rather than completing traditional group clinical hours. A progressive pay model rewards students as they advance in coursework and competency, while tuition assistance helps ease financial burdens. 

Together, these benefits create a program designed to prepare confident, capable nurses for the future of health care in Alabama.

Nolan Bennett – Nurse Apprentice (Cohort 7)

 

Nolan Bennett’s pathway to nursing was an unconventional one. Bennett entered Auburn University planning to major in engineering. However, two years into his studies, found himself looking for a change. 

“Ultimately what led me to nursing was sitting with the Lord and realizing the potential he had for me to care for and lead others,” Bennett said. 

For Nolan, the decision to change his career path was deeply personal and rooted in purpose. Finding out about East Alabama Health’s Nurse Apprenticeship Program provided an opportunity for financial support and a structured pathway to gain practical experience while completing his degree.

“It started as a regular day in the College of Nursing, and East Alabama Health representatives had come in to tell us about the apprenticeship program,” Bennett recalled. “Hearing about the program’s financial benefits, the experience it provides, and the opportunity to have a job here at EAMC post grad really got my attention.”

While the financial assistance was a major draw, he quickly discovered that the true value of the program lay in its immersive clinical exposure. Through the program, Bennett has rounded on multiple units. His favorites include Med-Surg and Labor and Delivery. 

Working alongside seasoned professionals, he gained confidence and honed skills that paired well with the academic side of his education. 

The hands-on experience of the program is carefully balanced with student’s academic priorities. For Bennett, that flexibility meant excelling in both the classroom and the hospital. 

“Something that is super vital with the apprenticeship is you are a student first, and the program administrators are fully aware of that; so, if I have a test one day, I can’t work a night shift the day before, because they want me to be on the top of my game,” Bennett said. “I would say the apprenticeship program does a great job in making sure that academia comes first.” 

The integration of theory and practice is where the program truly shines. Concepts introduced in lectures come to life in real patient care settings, and clinical encounters often precede classroom discussions, giving apprentices a head start in understanding complex scenarios. 

“We just had a labor and delivery simulation, and I got to blow it out of the water, because I knew what it looked like because I’d already encountered it in real life.”

By bridging the gap between education and practice, the Nurse Apprenticeship Program equips future nurses with the skills and assurance they need to thrive from day one.

For Bennett, these experiences have translated into confidence and readiness. Upon graduation in May 2025, he plans to transition into a full-time nursing role at EAMC and remain in the area. 

Skylar Crews – Nurse Apprentice (Cohort 7)

 

For Skylar Crews, nursing was never just about mastering skills—it was about finding her place in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment where every decision matters. Originally from Wetumpka, Alabama, Crews’s first introduction to East Alabama Health came when representatives visited her class. That moment opened the door to an opportunity that would shape her future: the Nurse Apprenticeship Program.

She joined the program in December 2024 as a member of the program’s seventh cohort.

Through her rotations, Crews found herself drawn to the fast-paced environment of emergency care. The Nurse Apprenticeship Program gave her the chance to explore that interest in depth, turning classroom concepts into real-world skills in one of the hospital’s most dynamic settings.

“I spend most of my time in the Emergency Department, as that’s kind of what I have gravitated toward,” Crews said. “The apprenticeship has allowed me to build relationships with the people there, as well as get to be so much more hands on with my skills.”

Crews has found that the program’s value extends beyond technical skills. Immersion in the Emergency Department has accelerated her clinical reasoning, helping her connect symptoms to interventions and make informed decisions earlier in her nursing education.

“I have seen a change in the skills progression of my clinical thinking, not just hands on skills, but also the progression in my mind of ‘oh, this patient is presenting this, so I need to do this,’” Crews said. “You’re able to make those connections earlier in your nursing curriculum, because through the program you’ve been able to see it and apply it.

This early exposure creates a powerful advantage. By witnessing conditions firsthand and learning from nurses with years of experience, apprentices like Crews can better bridge the gap between theory and practice, reinforcing classroom lessons with authentic patient encounters.

“It’s just so cool, because you are able to see things in person that you learn about in class and connect that to your work.”