For caregivers, the hardest part of a career move often isn’t ambition. It’s figuring out what’s possible and who can help get you there. At Providence Swedish, that’s exactly the gap a caregiver-built program called the Career Concierge was designed to close.

A system built by caregivers, for caregivers

At some point in a healthcare career, the question shifts from “Can I do this job?” to “Where do I want to go from here?” Providence Swedish’s North Division Clinical Education and Professional Practice team created three connected programs to help caregivers answer that question: the Career Pathways Hub, the Career Concierge Service, and the Explorative Learning Shadowing Program. Together, they help caregivers move from “That sounds interesting” to “I can see a path to get there.”

The team is led by Amanda Hillas, RN, Clinical Program Manager for Career Development, alongside Jaclyn Jones, Clinical Education Program Manager. “We are the caregivers of caregivers,” Amanda says. And that idea is at the heart of all three programs.

The Career Pathways Hub: See what’s possible

The Career Pathways Hub is a visual, interactive internal site that helps caregivers explore the many directions their careers can take, whether that means advancing within a specialty, moving into leadership, earning a certification, going back to school, or exploring education or research.

It brings helpful resources together in one place, including free library resources, HealthStream courses, tuition and funding information, mentorship programs, and a curated list of schools Providence Swedish caregivers commonly attend, with information about cost, format, and how to apply.

“The whole goal is how can we create visibility of what’s possible,” Amanda explains, “in a way that people can identify with it and get started.”

The Career Concierge Service: Talk to someone who’s been there

Sometimes seeing the options isn’t enough, and it’s more impactful to talk it through with someone who understands. That’s where the Career Concierge Service comes in. Any caregiver can schedule a free, 30-minute conversation with a volunteer career coach matched to their interests and needs.

“It’s entirely a caregiver-to-caregiver model,” Amanda explains. “You’re talking to other caregivers who understand the culture, who have the experience.”

The concierge team has grown along with caregiver needs, and every coach volunteers their time. A nurse interested in research can talk with a nurse scientist about reach and publishing opportunities. Someone considering school can meet with a specialist who understands tuition support and collective-bargaining benefits. Other concierges help with resumes, interviews and career planning.

The conversations can be simple, practical and highly personal: Here’s where I am. Here’s where I think I want to go. What would you do next?

Follow-up surveys show that caregivers leave feeling heard, supported and better equipped to take their next step. And for many of the concierges, those conversations are among the most rewarding parts of their week.

Career Concierge launched for nurses in January 2024, expanded to nursing assistants in 2025 and is now growing into diagnostic imaging in 2026.

Explorative Learning: Try it before you make the leap

What if you’re interested in a new specialty but aren’t sure it’s right for you? Providence Swedish’s Explorative Learning Shadowing Program gives RNs a chance to find out. Nurses submit a short application outlining their goals, then spend four paid hours embedded with another team. Sometimes that experience confirms a career direction. Other times, it helps a nurse realize a move isn’t the right fit before making a major commitment.

For example, one nurse who was certain she wanted to specialize in another unit shadowed it first and realized, before committing to a fellowship, that it wasn’t quite the right fit, helping her redirect early instead of after the fact.

In another case, a night-shift Emergency Department charge nurse and ICU charge nurse were experiencing friction around patient transfers. They shadowed each other’s units and saw firsthand the challenges the other was managing, from bed availability and timing to trauma-room constraints. That understanding helped improve communication between the two units.

Nurses also use the program to strengthen the care they provide in their current roles. An antepartum nurse shadowed Labor & Delivery so she could better prepare patients for what would happen next. A Labor & Delivery nurse shadowed postpartum to strengthen her early-lactation education skills.

“It’s so rare to get to talk to a human being these days,” Jaclyn says. “With Explorative Learning and Career Concierge — even through a screen — it’s a chance to talk with a human being.”

Your career can keep evolving

For a caregiver who has already built experience and expertise, career growth doesn’t always mean climbing a traditional ladder. It might mean moving into a new specialty, developing deeper expertise, exploring leadership or education, or simply finding a role that’s a better fit for where you are now.

That can be especially valuable in areas where there are a lot of opportunities right now, including Women’s and Children’s Services, the Emergency Department and cardiovascular critical care.

If you’re considering a new path, you won’t have to figure it out on your own. Once you’re part of the team, you’ll have access to the Career Pathways Hub to map out what it takes, a caregiver who understands the path to talk it through with, and in some cases, the chance to experience a specialty firsthand before applying for a fellowship or making a move.

For Amanda and Jaclyn, that commitment to career growth is personal. Amanda has been with Providence Swedish for 18 years, starting as a nursing student and nurse tech before becoming a telemetry nurse and eventually moving into education leadership. Jaclyn joined four years ago and has built her own career within the organization, moving into clinical education. “We should be growing,” Amanda says. “Everyone should have possibilities, and we should have internal retention and movement.”

Know you, care for you, ease your way

That’s the promise Amanda says the program is built around.

And for caregivers thinking about what comes next, it means they don’t have to figure it out alone. Whether you want to grow within your specialty, explore a completely different area of nursing or simply understand your options, Providence Swedish has created resources to help you find your way forward.

See where your nursing career could take you next

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