Investing in Those Who Care for Others: A Message from CNO Marilee Arnold

I’ve spent my career caring for patients, families, and the many individuals I’ve encountered along the way. It’s what drew me to nursing in the first place – the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Today, I’m proud to focus on something just as meaningful: supporting the nurses who give so much of themselves every day.

In April 2025, UNC Health Pardee launched an enhanced nurse educator program. Now, one year in, I feel incredibly proud of what we’ve built together.

As we celebrate National Nurses Week, it feels especially fitting to highlight this initiative.

The program was created to meet a critical need: providing consistent, hands-on, educational support for nurses, especially those early in their careers. At a time when many organizations are scaling back educational resources, Pardee made a deliberate choice to invest in them — ensuring every acute care unit has a dedicated educator focused solely on growth and development of our nursing teams.

 

A structure designed for support

From the beginning, our goal was to build something thoughtful and sustainable.

We established nurse educator roles across our acute care units, tailoring the investment to each team’s size and needs.

The program was designed to address gaps in unit-based education, staff development, and onboarding. Today, it’s doing exactly that. These educators guide onboarding, support staff through policy and equipment changes, and work alongside teams to strengthen skills and confidence. They also serve as a resource when new care initiatives are introduced or additional support is needed.

Just as importantly, this structure allows managers to focus more fully on leadership and operations, knowing their teams have a dedicated partner in education and training. It also supports workforce development and retention by helping nurses feel confident and prepared from day one.

 

Creating opportunities to stay and grow

The program has opened new doors for professional growth. It allows us to retain talented nurses who may have joined us in temporary roles but ultimately saw a future here.

Janelle Olsen is one of those individuals. After working as a traveling nurse, she realized she wanted to make Western North Carolina and Pardee her permanent home. We were thrilled to welcome her as our first nurse educator.

For Janelle, the role is deeply personal. Early in her career, she faced challenges passing her boards and didn’t always feel supported. That experience stayed with her and shaped her path. Today, she’s intentional about ensuring others feel supported and confident in ways she didn't always experience herself.

In her role, Janelle focuses on education, mentorship, and keeping clinical practice current. She works closely with new hires and graduates, supports staff through changes in policy and equipment, and helps improve workflows. She also works at the bedside, an intentional choice that keeps her teaching grounded in real-world patient care.

She describes the role as a critical bridge between education and practice, helping nurses move beyond orientation while promoting consistency and safe, high-quality care, and advocating for nurses as changes are implemented.

Her impact has already been felt. As Nursing Director Charlotte Stone shared, Janelle has strengthened staff competence through thoughtful onboarding, ongoing education, and competency development. Her work reinforces best practices, helps standardize care, and addresses knowledge gaps — supporting patient safety and quality outcomes.

Further strengthening the program, Stephanie Arriaga stepped into the role of manager of clinical education, helping guide its growth across the hospital. She’s seen how embedding educators on units has transformed how staff development is conducted, allowing educational needs to be addressed more intentionally, in real time, and with greater depth.

For Stephanie, this work is especially meaningful. She’s been passionate about staff development and education, and seeing educators in action has expanded the reach of those efforts in ways that weren’t previously possible. Nurses now have trusted experts they can turn to for real-time guidance, growth, and development – strengthening both individual performance and the organization.

 

Looking ahead

What’s been most rewarding is seeing how our nursing team has embraced this program. There is a shared commitment – not just to improving patient care, but supporting one another through education, mentorship, and collaboration.

As we celebrate Nurses’ Week, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our nurses. Your willingness to grow, adapt, and support each other has brought this vision to life. This program reflects your dedication, professionalism, and passion for delivering exceptional care.

I’m incredibly hopeful for what lies ahead. Together, we are building something that will continue to strengthen our teams, support our nurses, and enhance the care we provide to our community.