As we recognize National Nurses Week, we celebrate the nurses who care for our friends, families, and neighbors across New Hanover County. Their compassion, skill, and dedication strengthen our community every day—and they inspire the next generation preparing to follow in their footsteps.
Now in its third year, the New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership is helping build a resilient healthcare workforce through long-term alignment across New Hanover County. Supported by a $22.3 million investment from The Endowment in 2023, the partnership brings together UNC Wilmington, Cape Fear Community College, New Hanover County Schools, and the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. Together, these partners are sharing tools, talent, and resources to strengthen our healthcare pipeline from the ground up.
New Hanover County Schools (NHCS) is building early exposure and dual-enrollment pathways for high school students interested in healthcare careers; Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) is expanding certification and training programs to meet growing demand for critical healthcare roles; the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) is preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals through nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate programs, with both classroom and field-based learning experiences; and the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce is convening employers and industry leaders to align educational programs with local workforce needs and support retention efforts.
Last week, at CFCC’s Nursing Pinning Ceremony, we celebrated graduates whose progress was directly supported by this investment. For many students, expanded wraparound services, including childcare assistance, scholarships, clinical supply support, housing stipends, and emergency aid, helped remove barriers so they could stay enrolled, focused, and on track academically. At the same time, shared resources like the newly integrated Simulation Lab are giving students the hands-on training needed to enter high-stakes clinical settings with confidence.
As these graduates received their pins, many had already accepted job offers, and are choosing to live, work, and give back here in New Hanover County.
In honor of National Nurses Week, thank you. We’re grateful to the nurses and healthcare professionals who show up for New Hanover County with compassion, expertise, and steadiness every day. We also thank the students who are choosing this calling, committing to learn, grow, and serve right here at home, and the faculty and clinical teams guiding them along the way. To our partners, thank you for your shared commitment and collaboration. And to our community, thank you for believing in and supporting the next generation of caregivers. Together, we are strengthening the healthcare workforce New Hanover County needs, now and for years to come.
Learn more: Visit the New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership to see how partners across New Hanover County are supporting students and strengthening the healthcare workforce.
Photos provided by Cape Fear Community College of the Cape Fear Community College Nurse Pinning Ceremony
The New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership meet weekly to collaborate and advance their shared goals, while The Endowment joins them monthly for strategic alignment and updates.