Happy National Nurses Week!

National Nurses Week honors nurses and celebrates their incredible contributions to the healthcare industry and patient care. We are thankful to have supported so many nurses in their healthcare journey. Your dedication inspires us, and we are proud of you. Thank you, nurses! 

Join us at Nurses Week events – at your employer site or online – to learn more about our services and programs for RN members. 

Benefits for Training Fund RN Members

The Training Fund offers many supportive services, education opportunities, and benefits for Training Fund RN members.

Interested in becoming an RN? Learn more about our Hospital Employee Education Training worker friendly programs for becoming an RN.

• Part-time RN program at Bellingham Technical College
• Part-time RN program at Highline College

We are excited to announce that we are testing the development of a new benefit, a Tuition Assistance Stipend, that will allow eligible members to lower their work hours and receive funding to support FTE reduction!

We are selecting 50 members to participate in this benefit trial.

• TA Stipends will be provided July 2025- December 2025.
• Participation will require manager pre-approval and monthly verification by manager.
• Before May 15th: Submit an interest form for a chance to receive a spot in this TA Stipend trial.
• May 22nd: TA Stipend recipients announced

Submit Interest Form by May 15th

Members will receive notification if they have been selected to participate May 22nd.

Selected Members will need to:

• Fill out a short form
• Provide proof of registration for summer or fall term
• Provide W9
• Complete monthly verification: signature from member & manager

Stipend checks will be sent out monthly to the member.

National Health Services Corps Loan Repayment Program

Application Now Open:  Apply by Thursday, May 1, 7:30 p.m. ET

Compare Loan Repayment Programs

The Conference Travel Funding Award application deadline is right around the corner!

NEW in 2025: We provide ALL our eligible members with up to $3,500* once per year (in reimbursements) to attend local and national conferences

*Available on first-come, first-served basis, and until funds are exhausted.

*Previously $1,500 for only Pro/Tech members

Funding is Awarded Quarterly

Benefit awards will be announced each quarter for upcoming conferences. Applications must be submitted prior to conference attendance to qualify.

Apply before March 1st for any upcoming conference.

We encourage you to apply early!

Members also have professional development money available to them.

These benefits enable you to attend conferences, advance your career, and minimize personal out-of-pocket costs.

Here’s how it works:

• Conference funding can cover the cost of travel (hotel, transportation expenses, etc.) and registration fees.
• Professional Development benefits can cover the cost of attending a conference, e.g., registration fees.
• Both benefits require members to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

The next quarterly deadline to apply for a Conference Travel Funding Award is March 1st*

*Applications must be submitted before the conference.

Benefit awards will be announced each quarter. It is recommended that applications be submitted throughout the year for an upcoming conference. 

Expanded Training Fund benefits in 2025: This year, we have limited-time first-come-first-serve opportunities for you to apply for: additional funding for Conference Travel (up to $3,500 annually for all our eligible members); more Professional Development funding (up to $500 annually for all eligible expenses); and later this year, a brand-new pilot Tuition Assistance stipend benefit that will allow eligible members to reduce their workload by up to 0.2 FTE. Stay tuned for our updates on all of these and how to apply. It’s all part of our ongoing commitment to reduce barriers and promote equity and opportunity for healthcare workers! 

New Members: We welcomed MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital as a Training Fund trust employer in January, 2025, which now brings our eligible member count to a staggering 20,974 workers across WA state! And more employers will be joining us later this year, as arrangements get finalized, including: participating King County Integrated Care Network providers, Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) Seattle, and SOUND Behavioral Health. Your Training Fund is maximizing Labor/Management partnerships to help even more workers achieve their education and career goals! 

Apprenticeships: We are steadily becoming the go-to leader, intermediary, and implementer of cutting-edge programs for healthcare workforce solutions in Washington and beyond. Our apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs continue to scale at a breathtaking rate: we have now implemented 24 IHAP cohorts (90% completion rate) and 28 NA-C program cohorts (86% completion rate), with a 48% transition rate from IHAP Phase 1 into the NA-C training program. The Medical Assistant (MA) apprenticeship program has implemented 24 cohorts, and we have run 17 Behavioral Health apprenticeships since 2022. Our partnerships with regional Skills Centers have also yielded five MA and PharmTech College in the High School apprenticeships to date! 

A bold vision for Behavioral Health: But our work does not stop there. We are taking on bigger and bolder goals in the year ahead, including paving the way for apprenticeships and on-the-job training to articulate into higher education college credits and advanced degrees. Exciting partnerships are underway to transform Behavioral Health apprenticeships into Associates and Bachelor’s degrees… and more! Our vision is to empower learners and grow their healthcare careers, while also making behavioral education and healthcare more accessible to everyone. Stay tuned for updates and announcements on these efforts! 

Through it all, the Training Fund is committed to continue driving education, innovation, and advocacy in healthcare spaces. None of this would be possible without our diverse and valued partners, innovative funders, and our passionate and hardworking staff. And none of it would be possible without YOU – your hard work, resilience, and dedication to helping patients and the community continues to inspire and motivate us. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your faith in the Training Fund and working with us to achieve a diverse and skilled healthcare workforce.  

 With deep gratitude and appreciation, 

– Laura Hopkins, Executive Director, the Training Fund