As pressure grows on the nursing workforce, healthcare leaders are turning to Career and Technical Education (CTE) to strengthen the pipeline and reduce early-career burnout.
More than 138,000 nurses have left the workforce since 2022, and nearly 40% plan to leave by 2029. As the pressure builds, experts say the solution may start much earlier than we think.
CTE programs can help address the nursing shortage by introducing students to healthcare careers early, building both technical and emotional readiness, and preparing future nurses for teamwork, resilience, and real-world clinical environments before they enter the workforce.
Building the Nursing Pipeline Earlier
According to Bethany Friedlander, president and CEO of New Bridge Cleveland, the solution to the nursing shortage begins long before nursing school.
“The solution begins long before nursing school — ideally in middle and high school when students first form career identity and confidence,” Friedlander says. “CTE programs introduce healthcare careers early, demystify clinical environments, and help students see themselves as future caregivers.”
By introducing healthcare pathways earlier, CTE programs help students build academic readiness and professional habits before they encounter the rigor of nursing education.
“If we want more nurses, we must start cultivating them years earlier,” she adds.
Preparing Nurses for the Reality of Care
Unlike traditional academic pathways, healthcare-focused CTE programs integrate real-world exposure alongside technical training from the start.
“Healthcare CTE programs combine technical skill development with exposure to real human experiences — illness, vulnerability, teamwork, and urgency,” Friedlander explains.
Students learn not only clinical skills, but also communication, emotional regulation, and professional identity. This approach helps reduce the shock many new nurses experience when entering clinical environments.
“Graduates arrive understanding both the science and the emotional realities of care,” she says.
Why Teamwork Training Matters for Burnout Prevention
Burnout remains one of the leading drivers of workforce attrition, but Friedlander notes that its root causes often extend beyond workload.
“Burnout often stems from isolation and poor communication rather than workload alone,” she says.
That is why New Bridge Cleveland emphasizes collaboration from the start of training.
“When students learn teamwork early, they understand healthcare as a shared responsibility rather than an individual burden. Graduates enter the workforce expecting to rely on teams, not carry stress alone.”
This mindset can play a direct role in protecting nurses from early career burnout.
A Whole-Person Approach to Workforce Development
New Bridge Cleveland’s model extends beyond technical training. Its “whole person” approach addresses the broader challenges that can derail students before they enter the workforce.
“A whole-person model addresses academic preparation, financial stability, mental wellness, and life barriers simultaneously,” Friedlander says.
Students receive coaching, emotional support, and assistance with basic needs such as transportation and housing. By stabilizing these factors, programs allow students to focus on learning and professional growth.
“Retention improves because students are supported as humans, not just trainees,” she adds.
The model has produced measurable results, including a 90% job placement rate.
Training Resilience Before the First Shift
Workforce development programs can also address burnout before it begins by building resilience into training.
“Resilience should be trained the same way clinical skills are trained — intentionally and early,” Friedlander says.
Through simulation, reflection, and structured coaching, students learn how to manage stress, set boundaries, and regulate emotional responses in high-pressure situations.
“By normalizing emotional reactions and teaching coping strategies, students enter healthcare prepared rather than overwhelmed,” she explains. “Prevention is far more effective than repair.”
Bridging Workforce Gaps and Advancing Health Equity
CTE programs also play a role in addressing disparities in both workforce representation and patient care.
“CTE opens healthcare careers to students who may not see traditional higher education as accessible or immediate,” Friedlander says.
By training individuals within their own communities, these programs support economic mobility while strengthening care delivery.
“Patients benefit when caregivers reflect the communities they serve,” she notes.
A Scalable Model for National Impact
New Bridge Cleveland’s success is driven by strong employer partnerships, an aligned curriculum, and early clinical exposure. Friedlander believes this model can be expanded nationwide.
“Our outcomes stem from deep employer partnerships, aligned curriculum, intensive student coaching, and real clinical exposure before graduation,” she says.
Because the model relies on collaboration and intentional design rather than costly infrastructure, it offers a scalable path forward for healthcare systems looking to strengthen their workforce pipeline.
Rethinking Recruitment as a Long-Term Strategy
For healthcare leaders, Friedlander says the shift must move from reactive hiring to proactive workforce development.
“Recruitment alone treats symptoms rather than causes,” she says.
Instead, health systems should partner with CTE programs to shape training, mentorship, and professional identity from the outset.
“Retention improves when workforce development is viewed as a continuum, not a hiring event.”
What Needs to Happen Next
If policymakers and healthcare leaders are serious about addressing the nursing shortage, Friedlander says investment in CTE must be immediate and intentional.
“They should formally recognize CTE as essential healthcare infrastructure and fund it accordingly,” she says.
Expanding access to career-connected learning, paid training pathways, and employer-education partnerships must become a priority for decision-makers determined to accelerate entry into the nursing workforce.
“The fastest way to grow the workforce is to strengthen the pathways already closest to communities.”
The Bottom Line
As the nursing shortage deepens, a clear solution emerges: start intervention earlier, support students holistically, and prepare them realistically for care. CTE programs are not just an alternative; they are central to building a sustainable nursing workforce for the future.
