Hilo nurses are in high demand. Nonprofit Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi documented in its 2024 Workforce Report a 26% vacancy rate of unfilled licensed practical nurse job positions on the Big Island.
Some of those positions will be filled with the graduation of 8 new nurses from an innovative program — launched in 2023 under the Good Jobs Hawaiʻi initiative — offered through Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi.
Graduation and pinning ceremony for Big Island participants in the CNA+ to LPN Bridge program is from 11 a.m. to noon today (Dec. 14) in Papaʻā Hale at Hawaiʻi Community College in Hilo.
They are part of a statewide cohort of 55 certified nurse aides and other healthcare workers graduating from the groundbreaking “earn-and-learn” glidepath program that brings licensed practical nurse education and training directly to their current workplaces.
Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi’s CNA+ to LPN Bridge program enables working certified nurse aides to become licensed practical nurses without having to leave their jobs to attend school or take labs.
The program is a collaboration with University of Hawaiʻi Maui College; Hawai’i State Center for Nursing; Hawai’i state lawmakers and dignitaries; Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; LPN Innovative Team; and local healthcare employers.
Historically, certified nurse aides and other entry-level positions seeking to advance into licensed practical nurses roles often had to leave their jobs to accommodate class schedules and clinical requirements.
Meanwhile, Hawaiʻi’s demand for licensed practical nurses has surged.
Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi — which serves Hawaiʻi’s hospitals, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, Type II adult residential care homes, Medicare-certified home health agencies and hospices — and its collaborators and participating employers removed those major barriers to advancement with the CNA+ to LPN Bridge program.
It offers flexible work schedules, clinical education at the job site and online instruction through University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, allowing working healthcare professionals to complete licensed practical nurse coursework, labs and exams without having to leave their jobs.
According to the association’s 2024 Workforce Initiative Report, there were 242 unfilled licensed practical nurse job positions throughout the state, nearly double the need reported in the association’s first report in 2019.
The CNA+ to LPN Bridge model creates opportunities for working healthcare professionals to significantly advance their careers, while employers benefit by attracting and retaining certified nurse aides — another high-need job position in Hawaiʻi — while enjoying a dedicated, upskilled LPN workforce.
The program has also accelerated rapidly thanks to Hawaiʻi lawmakers’ passage of House Bill 1827.
“The results really speak for themselves,” said Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi President and Chief Executive Officer Hilton Raethel in an association release. “In a single year, this program produced 55 graduates, 23% of the 242 [licensed practical nurses] needed in Hawaiʻi, based on the demand identified in our 2024 Workforce Report.”
Raethel added it’s a powerful example of what true collaboration can achieve.
“Working alongside our partners, we’re creating a home-grown healthcare workforce — with higher-paying, fulfilling career opportunities,” he said. “We congratulate this year’s graduates, their families who supported them and their employers who provided the opportunity and support to make this program successful.”
Enrollment for the CNA+ to LPN Bridge program is open to employed certified nurse aides and other entry-level healthcare professionals working for participating program employers on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island.
Tuition assistance is available for students needing to complete prerequisites. Enrollment for the 2026 cohort is already closed, but students are encouraged to consider the 2027 cohort.
To learn more, visit the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College website (https://maui.hawaii.edu/cna-to-pn-bridge-program).
“The CNA+ to LPN Glidepath Program represents a transformative investment in Hawai‘i’s healthcare workforce and Gov. Green’s commitment to ensuring that quality care is accessible,” said Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Director James Kunane Tokioka in the association release. “With this initiative, we are not only addressing critical staffing needs but also creating pathways to economic mobility and professional growth.”
Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi thanked and acknowledged the partners who made the program a reality and these participating Hawaiʻi healthcare employers:
“Congratulations to each graduate — your dedication strengthens our healthcare system and inspires a healthier future for all,” Tokioka said.
Visit the Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi’s workforce development programs web page to learn more.
You can also check out the association’s main website for additional general information, and follow the nonprofit on Facebook, X and Instagram.
