Learning together

Last spring, Cape Fear Valley’s internal programs for training nursing assistants experienced a first when it graduated two family members together: Delia Kempton and her son, Dathan Kempton.

“It was interesting,” said Ruhama Bond, Education Coordinator and Director of the Nursing Assistant I (NAI) and Nursing Assistant II (NAII) programs. “They have two different personalities, even though they were mother and son.”

Cape Fear Valley offers two levels of Nursing Assistant educational programs to help employees who wish to improve their skills and accreditations. The free 15-week programs are popular and in high demand. Cape Fear Valley Medical Center is one of only two hospital-based locations in the state with state approval for a certified NAI program. By advancing their certifications and training, nursing assistants can perform more skills, prepare for a full nursing degree and earn a higher salary. Not all of the class participants are nursing assistants or plan to be nurses, however.

“We would love for all of them to go on to be nurses, but they might go into respiratory, EMT, surgical technician or radiology technician,” Bond said. “But they’ll go on having these basic skills, and likely stay with the system.”

While the health system has had the NA II program approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing for eight years, the NAI program was approved by the NC Department of Health and Human Services in April 2022.

“I don’t know of any other hospital that does an NAII program,” Bond said. “We credential the NAIIs. The employees who come through the NAII program are the best of the best. When Cape Fear Valley started the NAII program, the goal was that the nursing assistants would be able to perform their complete scope of practice as allowed by the North Carolina Board of Nursing. In many facilities, they’re not allowed to perform the full scope.”

Now a Nursing Assistant II, Delia works with brain injury patients in Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center, where she came after joining Cape Fear Valley two years ago. Before deciding to advance her certifications, she was a certified nursing assistant (CNA) for about 20 years.

“I’ve been working on and off for 20 years,” Delia said. “I never pushed for my education. After moving up here to Cape Fear Valley, where they offered it for free, that changed things. None of my previous employers offered free schooling at all.”

While she might not have pushed herself, she strongly encouraged her children to pursue more in their careers. Her oldest son, Devon, previously went through the health system’s free EMT training program. But Dathan, who has been a pharmacy technician at Cape Fear Valley for two years now, was the first to sign up for the free nursing assistant training at Cape Fear Valley. His choice to move forward helped his mother make up her mind about taking her first steps toward continuing her education.

“It was a good experience for me,” Delia said. “Test anxiety always made me think I wouldn’t be able to go through a nursing program, but Ruhama showed me I could take a deep breath and remember what I was taught.”

Though Delia hasn’t signed up for nursing school yet, Dathan didn’t wait for his NA I graduation before starting school for nursing. He began taking some prerequisite courses at Fayetteville Technical Community College at the same time he was taking his NA I class at Cape Fear Valley. He’s also planning to get his NA II certification before he finishes his nursing classes.

“I think a lot of it had to do with wanting me to progress at a younger age,” Dathan said. “It’s a good way to pursue what I want to do, and everybody’s been helping me out to get through school. Ruhama is the best; she always knows the next steps and she’s always there to help and guide.”

As well as taking advantage of free educational opportunities at Cape Fear Valley, Delia has also pointed several of her coworkers to the NA II program.

“I encourage all the CNAs that come through our floor to come to this class,” Delia said. “Ruhama is a great resource to further your education. She will point and push you in the right direction.”