Growing a Stronger Tomorrow

By 2028—less than three years away—it’s predicted that there will be a shortage of 100,000 healthcare workers. That’s why, here at Sheppard Pratt, we are focused on innovative workforce development initiatives to educate healthcare workers and give them hands-on experience in mental health.

One of these initiatives: empowering future nurses with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in their careers. 

A Well-Rounded Education

Preparing nurses for a meaningful career in mental health begins early: while they are still in school. To ensure students are learning about mental health from a trusted and cutting-edge source, we’ve partnered with Coppin State University, Morgan State University, and Montgomery College as clinical training sites.

“During their clinical placements, students see firsthand how nurses support patients and what it’s really like to work in mental health,” explains Maria Purcell, liaison for diversity partnerships at Sheppard Pratt. “We welcome about 200 nursing students every semester. They’re accompanied by their instructors, and some of their instructors are so ‘wowed’ by Sheppard Pratt, they come and work for us part-time!”

At Sheppard Pratt, clinical placements are widespread, ensuring nursing students are exposed to a variety of patient populations and diagnoses. “We are intentional about bringing students to both hospital campuses,” shares Purcell. “Because we have units dedicated to specific diagnoses and age groups—like our Thought Disorders Unit or our Child Unit—students can get a deep dive in these areas. Most hospitals will only have a single unit for mental health. Some of the nursing students also train at Sheppard Pratt School in Glyndon—it’s such a unique experience to be able to work at a nonpublic special education school in addition to state-of-the-art inpatient units.”

“For many of these students, this is their first opportunity to see what it’s like working in the mental health field and to get hands-on experience,” Purcell continues. “They are with us weekly for a semester and get to see what it’s really like to work in a state-of-the-art psychiatric environment.”

“Nothing like what I expected”

Prior to a clinical placement at Sheppard Pratt, many students simply “don’t consider psych.” “We know mental health is so important,” says Purcell. “That’s why we are so intentional about fostering these partnerships.”

Even in the medical field, misconceptions about mental health and treatment proliferate. Many students come to us expecting what they see in movies and on TV. “One of the most common things I hear is, ‘It’s nothing like what I expected,’” Purcell shares. “Sheppard Pratt is warm, it’s inviting, and our employees are caring and compassionate.” 

Before graduation, nursing students can complete an externship at Sheppard Pratt. Nurse externs learn to use therapeutic communication skills, engage in psychological and behavioral assessment, and build a toolkit that will prepare them for a successful and rewarding career in mental health. 

Nurse externs can gain an extraordinary breadth of  experience by training in specialty areas like eating disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and trauma disorders, or exploring neuromodulation like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)—deep dives traditionally not available at other hospitals. 

Building the Workforce of the Future

“It’s important that we not only build out and educate the healthcare workforce of the future here, but that we build a workforce that really represents the people we care for,” says Purcell. “That’s why it’s critical that we’re partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) like Coppin State and Morgan State. We want to empower these future nurses to work in mental health.” 

And through the dedicated efforts of our nursing team, Sheppard Pratt is making incredible progress. “This ‘pipeline’ we’ve created is so supportive and is designed to get nurses excited about mental health and then stay with us once they’ve graduated,” Purcell shares. “Seeing it in action is so powerful—and is so positive for our staff and for those we serve.”