CFCC Nursing Graduates Find Their Calling Through LifeCare Scholars Program

Through its LifeCare Scholars program, Lower Cape Fear LifeCare has created a pathway for recent nursing graduates to begin their careers in hospice and palliative care. The organization has hired several graduates from Cape Fear Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing degree.

The program provides them with mentorship, hands-on experience, and a supportive transition from the classroom to professional practice.

Among those graduates are Aretta Williams and Faith Hommel, who joined Lower Cape Fear LifeCare earlier this year.

Finding a Place in Hospice Care

For Williams, working at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare feels like a full-circle moment.

As a child, she watched the organization care for a family member during the final stages of life.

“When I visited them in the care center, I saw how well the staff cared for them,” Williams said. “Even after they passed away, the staff continued to follow up with our family. That level of care was amazing to see.”

Although she didn’t know at the time that she would become a nurse, the experience stayed with her.

“I always had Lower Cape Fear LifeCare in my brain,” she said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do yet, but I always remembered the good things about them.”

That early impression resurfaced during Williams’ time in CFCC’s nursing program. As part of her clinical training, CFCC allowed nursing students to explore specialty areas that interested them. Williams chose hospice care.

“The interactions with hospice patients that were under Lower Cape Fear LifeCare was a great experience. Being able to take care of them for that clinical day and get to see what they go through.”

Hommel’s path to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare was intentional.

“I wanted an alternative to a traditional hospital setting,” Hommel said. “I liked the nurse-to-patient ratio, the fact that it’s a nonprofit organization, and the reputation it has in the community.”

That reputation shows in the organization’s five-star rating, a distinction earned by only 8% of hospices nationwide.

Investing in New Graduate Nurses

The six-month program was developed to address a challenge facing many healthcare organizations following significant nursing shortages that emerged after the pandemic.

“For years, hospice organizations primarily hired experienced nurses,” said April Blizzard, Director of Clinical Education at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare. “We realized we needed to do something different. We needed to create opportunities for new graduates and provide them with the support necessary to become successful hospice nurses.”

One of the program’s greatest success stories is CFCC graduate Leah Gillikin. Since completing the program five years ago, Gillikin has earned a doctoral degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

“Leah was our very first LifeCare Scholar,” Blizzard said. “Now she’s helping lead the program and supporting new nurses. It’s really come full circle.”

The LifeCare Scholars program combines classroom instruction, online learning modules, and continuing education opportunities with guided clinical experiences under the supervision of experienced nurse preceptors. Scholars gain hands-on experience in both inpatient and outpatient hospice settings.

Hommel currently works in the inpatient care center and credits the program’s mentorship model with helping ease her transition into nursing.

“I had a solid three months with a mentor whenever I worked,” she said. “I didn’t take patients independently until I felt fully ready. There was a lot of communication between my preceptor and my manager. I never felt alone.”

Williams works in outpatient hospice care, a role she says fits well with both her professional goals and family life.

“Outpatient works better with my schedule and my children,” she said. “I love it because there’s a lot of autonomy, but there was never any pressure. They didn’t make you take patients until you were confident and ready.”

A Career That Feels Like a Calling

Both nurses said one of the biggest surprises has been discovering what hospice care is really like.

“I think people often expect it to be sad all the time,” Hommel said. “But the people who work here are truly called to this type of care. It’s not overwhelming or dreary. It’s beautiful. It makes you happy to get up and come to work.”

The supportive culture Hommel describes is one reason Lower Cape Fear LifeCare has become a destination employer for healthcare professionals across the region.

“Our focus is on providing the highest quality care possible,” said Jessica Beardsley, Chief Human Resources Officer at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare. “We have wonderful staff, and that directly impacts the care our patients and families receive.”

Blizzard said CFCC graduates have consistently brought qualities that align with Lower Cape Fear LifeCare’s mission.

“They bring perseverance, determination, empathy, and compassion,” she said. “Those are qualities that are incredibly important in hospice and palliative care.”