UNA’s ACONHP Hosts Signing Day for Nursing Apprentices

May. 19, 2026

Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – Students in the Accelerated Nursing Program who have been interviewed and selected by sponsoring hospitals have signed their Apprenticeship Agreements. These individuals represent the second cohort in the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of North Alabama to take this exciting next step in their healthcare careers.

“We are extremely proud of these students as the apprentice spots are limited, and it is a highly competitive process,” said Dr. Amanda Hitt, Assistant Professor of Nursing and Director of ACONHP Student Scholarships. “The Apprentice program is offered to our Accelerated BSN students. After an internal application process through the ACONHP, students will interview with the hospital of their choice. The hospital then makes offers to students to become a part of their Apprenticeship Program.”

UNA became a registered sponsor through the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship in early 2025. The Nurse Apprentice Program is a collaborative effort that includes the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship, the Alabama Board of Nursing, UNA, and participating hospitals in our area. Contracts include Huntsville Hospital, Athens-Limestone Hospital, and Decatur Morgan Hospital.

The first cohort of students began in May of 2025, with two students selected by Huntsville Hospital. These two students are slated to graduate in Summer 2026. Three students participated in Signing Day recently as part of the second cohort, and one student was selected by Decatur Morgan Hospital, and two students were selected by Huntsville Hospital.

Throughout this program, students have the opportunity to work as a Nurse Apprentice while in school. They are paired with an experienced nurse mentor and work one-on-one with that mentor. Those work hours count toward their clinical hour requirements for their coursework. Additionally, the hospital pays for their tuition while in school. Further, the Nurse Apprentice program allows students to train on the unit they will be working on after graduation. The goal is for students to complete their educational journey debt-free. The hospital even pays for the students’ first NCLEX attempt.

Once students graduate and pass the NCLEX, they are typically required to work at their sponsoring hospital for two years.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.