RN school while in High School?

[AFJ32780]

https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/new-program-would-allow-high-school-students-to-graduate-as-certified-registered-nurses

Posted the link to article above.

A local high school (San Antonio) is looking in to adding a RN program within the high school curriculum. The outcome will be a high school diploma and an associate degree in nursing at the age of 18.

I personally feel this is a great way to get more nurses in the field, at the same time, it worries as the brain of some 18 year olds are not all that developed and need more maturing.

also how will the program work? Nursing school is difficult, as it should be, how will the school accommodate all those nursing courses and high school courses simultaneously?

Thoughts?

[Duranie]

I know there are programs in AZ that in cooperation with the Community college students can graduate from high school with only one year left to get their Associate of Applied Science in Nursing.

The way that there is room in the high school curriculum to make this work, is that every course serves 2 purposes: so a pharmacology course might be counted as a general science credit. Senior “English” would instead be replaced with a course on professional communication, with emphasis on writing. A dosage calcs course counts as a math requirement. In addition, under this sort of structure, there are no “electives” as such, because all elective slots are filled with courses that fulfill major requirements.

There’s also room in the curriculum because most HS Seniors in AZ actually only attend for a 1/2 day, because they’re only req’d to have 3 yrs of science & math. But in a VocEd program, seniors have a full day, or if they do leave campus, it’s to take courses at the CC.

[GSDlvrRN, MSN]

I am actually offended at the thought of this. I mean come on, high school minds are not mature enough to handle nursing in the real world. 20 something year old minds aren't mature enough sometimes either. This may be a stretch, but this feels down grading....as if high schoolers can be RNs. Its like saying a high schooler can do my job.

[NightNerd, MSN, RN]

9 hours ago, SmilingBluEyes said:

Also unless we get the problem of assault of nurses, under control, no way should high school students be subject to such situations. I would never allow my kids to be exposed to that. Nor would I allow them to be exposed to deadly diseases while so young. They are too young to understand and accept all that goes with nursing that is dangerous or hazardous.

Tangential, but I was just talking to my boyfriend about this. I hope I'll be open to whatever my future kids' dreams are in life, but I pray to every deity out there that they don't choose nursing. I would worry all the time for them. There are some good things about this career, but I hate thinking of young people needing to toughen up to this level just to make a living, especially at the tender age of 18 or 19.

[Duranie]

These aren’t run-of-the-mill high schoolers. To succeed in the kind of program that I’m familiar with, these students are driven, ambitious, and extremely smart. They have time-management skills that some experienced nurses would envy.

I was in a VocEd program in HS more than 3 decades ago.... it wasn’t nearly as structured as the programs today are (now known as JTED). I could’ve graduated HS in 3 years, credits-wise, but I chose to stay for Sr. year and when I graduated, I had my CNA, MA (front and back office), phlebotomy & lab tech certs— basically all the allied health certs. that were offered except dental assisting. And I did it all with straight A’s. I didn’t necessarily want to do all those things, but I had a strong desire to learn all I could about what was called at that time “medical arts”.

I knew from the start it was gonna be difficult and that the bar was set high. I wish I’d been in a program that would’ve given me the opportunity to have been at least partway done with my AAS-N, instead of having so many cert’s that I never used. (I did come out of it with a familiarity with a lot of very basic concepts, plus already knowing medical terminology when I started nursing school. I also already knew how to do blood draws, start IV’s, and give injections. But I didn’t actually get college credit for any of it.)

The JTED students know the expectations from the beginning. These are students who are more mature than the average 14-18 year olds. If they aren’t able to keep up with the coursework or if they change their minds, they can transfer to the regular HS at any time.

Its not just nursing, either... there are quite a few programs they can pursue— including auto mechanics, software development, machine shop, manufacturing processes, and others that I can’t think of now.

Anyway, I think that for these exceptional students, programs like this can allow them to achieve their dreams. Also, I’d imagine that a lot of them would go on to BSN or other bachelor’s-level programs, because like I said, these kids are so driven.

[AFJ32780, MSN, RN, NP]

3 hours ago, Duranie said:

These aren’t run-of-the-mill high schoolers. To succeed in the kind of program that I’m familiar with, these students are driven, ambitious, and extremely smart. They have time-management skills that some experienced nurses would envy.

I was in a VocEd program in HS more than 3 decades ago.... it wasn’t nearly as structured as the programs today are (now known as JTED). I could’ve graduated HS in 3 years, credits-wise, but I chose to stay for Sr. year and when I graduated, I had my CNA, MA (front and back office), phlebotomy & lab tech certs— basically all the allied health certs. that were offered except dental assisting. And I did it all with straight A’s. I didn’t necessarily want to do all those things, but I had a strong desire to learn all I could about what was called at that time “medical arts”.

I knew from the start it was gonna be difficult and that the bar was set high. I wish I’d been in a program that would’ve given me the opportunity to have been at least partway done with my AAS-N, instead of having so many cert’s that I never used. (I did come out of it with a familiarity with a lot of very basic concepts, plus already knowing medical terminology when I started nursing school. I also already knew how to do blood draws, start IV’s, and give injections. But I didn’t actually get college credit for any of it.)

The JTED students know the expectations from the beginning. These are students who are more mature than the average 14-18 year olds. If they aren’t able to keep up with the coursework or if they change their minds, they can transfer to the regular HS at any time.

Its not just nursing, either... there are quite a few programs they can pursue— including auto mechanics, software development, machine shop, manufacturing processes, and others that I can’t think of now.

Anyway, I think that for these exceptional students, programs like this can allow them to achieve their dreams. Also, I’d imagine that a lot of them would go on to BSN or other bachelor’s-level programs, because like I said, these kids are so driven.

I certainly hope so..

until i I see it with my own eyes I’ll feel more comfortable. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe these students will surprise us all and they will excel in being an RN.

But until then I rightfully so have doubts.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

When I was going to school for my LPN, one of the requirements for registration was to be at least 17 years of age. I’m pretty sure my RN program more recently had the same require. Legal issues with minors seems like it would pose a big problem with clinical hours, although I have seen more and more schools getting those hours through simulation labs-it doesn’t even compare to a real patient, but this may be one of the ways they plan on getting the clinical hours.

Honestly, all those credits during high school, most two year degrees take close to three years for completion and high school already has its own separate requirements.

I got my LPN at 19. I had to do a lot of growing up and I was considered one of the more “mature” students in high school. In nursing you see a lot of human suffering and some of these situations can leave a lasting impression on those who see it, especially if they are no psychologically ready to deal with the potential mental/emotional impact of it. Some education should be put off until we can be sure a student knows what they are signing up for as trauma, abuse, death etc can be hard to witness and we cannot erase the images once they are seen.

[JKL33]

10 hours ago, Duranie said:

Anyway, I think that for these exceptional students, programs like this can allow them to achieve their dreams. Also, I’d imagine that a lot of them would go on to BSN or other bachelor’s-level programs, because like I said, these kids are so driven.

Interesting take. I have a little different opinion though I see where you're coming from.

I think that path is good for some; however I am familiar with exceptional and driven students too and there's no way I would encourage them along this route in lieu of a rigorous/advanced general high school track (including getting in whatever college courses they can). I don't know why any gifted/exceptional student would do this. When they succeed with AP maths, language arts, sciences and are scoring in top percentiles on national testing, etc., they have not missed out on anything by not being placed in a special track where they can earn a certification. They will have already blown past what those courses generally have to offer, and will have avoided unnecessarily narrowing their options to a particular vocational focus.

[0.5GPA, ADN, CNA]

Maybe if the student can prove they are nursing material but I think for most kids it’s a bad idea.

Same age group that can not figure out that tide pods are for clothes not eating are not (to me) the shining future they are cracked up to be. Common sense would have to be a consideration but that might be difficult.

There are exceptions to everything some kids in that group are really great some can’t do anything with out tons of assistance. Again there are exceptions but my experience has been those exceptions are very rare.

Oh and also social media and HIPAA do not mix. There are people I know of pushing 30 who can not get this.

They don’t mix! they don’t mix! they don’t mix! Say with me social media and HIPAA DO NOT MIX! Lol

[AFJ32780, MSN, RN, NP]

1 hour ago, 0.5GPA said:

Maybe if the student can prove they are nursing material but I think for most kids it’s a bad idea.

Same age group that can not figure out that tide pods are for clothes not eating are not (to me) the shining future they are cracked up to be. Common sense would have to be a consideration but that might be difficult.

There are exceptions to everything some kids in that group are really great some can’t do anything with out tons of assistance. Again there are exceptions but my experience has been those exceptions are very rare.

Oh and also social media and HIPAA do not mix. There are people I know of pushing 30 who can not get this.

They don’t mix! they don’t mix! they don’t mix! Say with me social media and HIPAA DO NOT MIX! Lol

I don’t think it has anything to do with eating tide pods. When I was 16 I worked at a McDonald’s and the older staff were the worse. Bad customer service. They were rude to us who were younger employees. One employee who was in his 60s drank bleach as a bet. Mind you he wasn’t a teen. So that has nothing to do with it.

This is has to do with maturity and getting experience with work. That will help them establish good work ethics and hopefully that experience will help in nursing school and their nursing career.

[verene, MSN]

My high school had a vocational training program run in conjunction with a local community college – it operated under the same premise as running start programs, in that there was a fairly rigorous application process and students had to show maturity and commitment to the program.

If I recall it offered a handful of career options – several in the trades (allowing students to graduate high school ready to move into journeyman status), and a few health care related (CNA, LPN, Vet Tech, MA). I think all the healthcare options required you to be 18 by the time clinical would start.

This kind of vocational training in high school is not for everyone, but for the handful of students each year who took this path it seemed to work out well. I don’t see offering vocational training as an inherently bad thing – for some of my peers vocational training or related classes (e.g. shop, woodworking) were all the kept them going in school, because they needed a practical application for their knowledge.

My guess is that this program is something similar to what my high school offered, in which case there will only be handful of carefully screened students going through each year. I also think it more likely that the curriculum is setting students up to complete CNA or LPN training, or just the pre-reqs/didactic for ADN.

[Dragonnurse1, ASN, RN]

My son told me about this and so I began looking and reading about the idea. They have this already established in Kentucky. I read through that entire program. Quite convoluted, begins in the 9th grade and the outline goes through "Grade 15"? They spend 1/2 day in regular state required courses and then move to 1 of 3 pathways. Depending on how the student chooses they can get a CNA by graduation from 12th and have some of the basics for an ADN. They then continue during Grade 13 and 14 which qualifies them for the ADN and then they need 120 hours to get the BSN.

The program is running into problems with 16 and 17 year olds doing clinicals or working in a lab. No kidding, most hospitals require you to be 18 before working like that. Also the high school students there are at the bottom of the reading, writing and math required for the ACT. The program insists that this will benefit Kentucky, seems there is a tremendous nursing shortage in the state and regular (real) nursing school are not turning out enough new grads.

The program requires input from a standard nursing school and the school assists in approving the students going into the program. The University with the nursing program provides teachers or train a school teacher how to teach these students. They have a pathway for "at risk" students as well.

I do not know about anyone else but if I am in the hospital and my nurse comes in with a 16 or 17 yo in tow and asks if the student can start an IV, replace a foley or what ever I would be saying Hell no.

https://www.sreb.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/17v12_beginning_the_bsn_nursing_pathway_report.pdf

[JKL33]

12 minutes ago, Dragonnurse1 said:

Also the high school students there are at the bottom of the reading, writing and math required for the ACT.

Right. I have not seen a school that tries to skim the top of the class and send them to vocational training.

Secondly, I just don't think nursing needs to be affiliated with this any more than the health care tracks already available in vocational training programs. For that reason. ^

12 minutes ago, Dragonnurse1 said:

The program insists that this will benefit Kentucky, seems there is a tremendous nursing shortage in the state and regular (real) nursing school are not turning out enough new grads.

Well, the nursing shortage in general hasn't improved the professional treatment of thousands of already Registered Nurses; neither those experienced nor new grads. So to me this screams either desperation or just more greedy wishful thinking - - constantly looking for a new group to rope into poor treatment once enough of the previous ones reject the working conditions. That is the nursing shortage, if there is one, aside from regional areas that have difficulty attracting professionals.