Abstract
BackgroundRecent research on the nursing shortage predicts U.S. and global nursing shortfalls will continue through 2030. The pandemic contributed to the decline in the number of students entering nursing programs because of burnout, the perception of nursing, and economic uncertainty. There needs to be an increase in the nursing pipeline, especially for high school students interested in nursing. InnovationA southwestern Pennsylvania nonprofit private university started a quality initiative to increase the nursing pipeline through exposure of high school students to nursing through the development of a healthcare professionals high school mentoring program. ImplicationsThe program provided students with exposure to various healthcare professions through a structured monthly Zoom presentation, hopefully leading to an informed decision regarding their future profession. High school students may not realize the available healthcare educational options. ConclusionAnonymous feedback, through a pre-survey and postsurvey of involved students, found that the program provided needed information to determine whether to pursue a healthcare career like nursing. The postsurvey did not reflect an increase in the students' interest in nursing but it did lead to several students enrolling in the university. The university plans to continue to offer this program to interested high school students in the future.
Published Version
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