Academy draws kids to nursing

By Melissa Gaskill
August 23, 2004

Austin, Texas – Jennifer Nordhauser, an eighth-grader at St. Stephens Episcopal School in Austin, had never heard of the national shortage of nurses. But the 13-year-old, along with other students who attended a daylong session at the Nursing Academy of Austin Community College, appears ready to do something about it.

Seeing how “really cool” it was to move stitches from a medical mannequin, Nordhauser has cemented her interest in nursing as a career. So has ninth-grader Bernice Velazquez, who plans to study nursing through the doctorate level when she gets to college, inspired by the glimpse the Nursing Academy gave her into the world of nursing.

“They gave us a lot of information,” said Velazquez, who participated in the June 24 academy and plans to attend a new health sciences academy at Lanier High School in Austin next year. “I really liked the activities. They had a hand with different tubes in the veins and we put medication in, and another one with staples and stitches we got to take out.”

This is exactly the kind of excitement organizers of the event would like to generate.

The nursing academy is a joint effort of Austin Community College’s nursing program, the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, St. David’s Medical Center, Seton Medical Center, The Heart Hospital of Austin, Central Texas Medical Center, Capital Area Health Education Center, and Capital Area Training Foundation.

The academy’s focus is on seventh- and eighth-grade students, “because research shows that at this level, girls are making decisions not to go into math and science because it is too challenging and not cool,” said Lynn Heimerl, senior program coordinator at Capital Area Health Education Center.

Heimerl works with students of all ages with an interest in the health care professions, and with students in communities designated as medically underserved or where the health care workforce does not reflect the diversity of the community.

“It also gives them a heads up as to what is going to be required down the road when they apply for nursing school,” Heimerl said. “It is our goal to put nursing in the same position as medical school is now. We want to recruit the best and the brightest, and want nursing to be everyone’s No.1 choice. The huge plus about the shortage is that pay has gone up dramatically and there are sign-on bonuses.”

The nursing academy offers an opportunity to pass on information like that to young people early enough that they can benefit from it.

The idea originated with Bonnie Clipper-Salzberg, RN, MBA, MA, chief nursing officer at St. David’s Medical Center. She was trying to think of ways to get young people into nursing.

“We used to do tours and let [students] walk around the hospital and look at the units,” she said, “but they thought that was kind of boring. I thought of a camp or immersion concept, something exciting and fun. It makes a very strong impression on them.”

She acknowledges that it will take a few years to see some return on the academy’s efforts, but believes that the experience will encourage some of the participants to go into nursing. Participants leave with a “goodie” bag of things to remind them of nursing and information such as websites to keep them interested.

The academy rotates between the two area nursing schools, Austin Community College and UT, and the industry players come and talk about opportunities within their institutions. Daylong events also have been held for high school and middle school counselors, as well as for high school students, an effort inspired by a summer internship program at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Fla.

“We try to provide very condensed, fact-based information — what a nurse is, where nurses work, what they make, how you become a nurse, the difference between associate and baccalaureate degrees,” Clipper-Salzberg said. Most of the information is presented by nurses, with brief scenarios and plenty of hands-on skills lab activities.

This year’s event was held at Austin Community College’s new health science facility, which has a 44-bed nursing lab (two 10-bed and two two-bed labs) and simulation mannequins, including two computer-operated “Sim Man” models, and a computer and simulation arm combination called Cath Sim. Seven students toured the facilities, then participated in activities including handwashing, suture-removing, administering medicine by IV, and listening to heartbeats. They heard presentations on nursing careers, nursing school (including a talk with a current student), the different nursing degrees, financial aid, and toured other areas in the health science building, including radiology and dental hygiene. Three parents participated with their children.

“The parents who came took off work to attend, so that is really cool,” Heimerl said. “We definitely see parents as potential nursing candidates as well.”

Notices about the academy are sent to counselors and science teachers at area middle schools before the school year ends. The organizers are aiming for bright students who already have shown some interest in science and technology, so students must apply to attend the academies (counselors aren’t required to apply). The application asks about grades and awards, extracurricular activities, and hobbies, and students must write an essay about their interest in nursing and how participating in the academy would benefit them.

“We try to choose candidates who will have a good, successful experience, who are good candidates for going into nursing, maybe who aren’t sure but are looking into it,” Clipper-Salzberg said. The application process also ensures that those students who attend are interested and want to be there.

The program for high school counselors, Clipper-Salzberg said, is intended to provide them with up-to-date information on nursing. “There were a lot of lightbulbs going on that day,” she said of the gathering in April 2003. “They were surprised at how much nurses made, how independent nurses are, and all the critical thinking they do. Many of them had been unsure about recommending nursing to students interested in the sciences, and they left saying they would recommend it.”

The students will be tracked, said Lori Woehl, cluster director for the health care industry for the Capital Area Training Foundation, a nonprofit providing intermediary service to help ensure that students are equipped to serve in an industry once they graduate. “We’ll contact them after nine months to see what their plans are.”

Just so students like Velazquez don’t forget how much fun they had with nursing.