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?
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.
They have this in IN in my geographic area. They get their CNA cert, but have some classes towards prereqs. This make more sense
Why are we so ok with giving an 18y/o a gun and sending them off to murder in wars, but when it comes to saving others lives suddenly they're too young? I'm kind of disgusted that we would sooner be ok with raising murderers than with healers...
If the student is responsible enough to pass the nursing classes (while finishing their HS classes at that), and then pass the same boards we all take, then obviously they are as prepared to enter into our field the same as the rest of us were.
Why are we so ok with giving an 18y/o a gun and sending them off to murder in wars, but when it comes to saving others lives suddenly they're too young? I'm kind of disgusted that we would sooner be ok with raising murderers than with healers...
If the student is responsible enough to pass the nursing classes (while finishing their HS classes at that), and then pass the same boards we all take, then obviously they are as prepared to enter into our field the same as the rest of us were.
No matter how mature a potential underage student is, my biggest concern would be exposure to all sorts of things that minors shouldn't/legally can't be exposure to: pathogens, physical assault, sexual assault, etc.
I know, even in my mid-twenties, it was traumatizing to be punted (kicked) across the room by a resident...and I'm not a lightweight (in other words, a light wind isn't going to knock me over; it takes force). Another case, I remember running down the hall because I heard a male resident randomly yelling (i.e. it wasn't one of his usual behaviors), only to find that it was because he was finishing his self pleasuring and knew screaming would bring a (mostly female) audience (it became a pattern with him whenever he knew new, unsuspecting female staff were on the floor).
I was "at fault" for being kicked according to admin because I "should have known how to de-escalate the situation better" (all I did was approach in a calm manner and ask the resident how I could help him after a CNA came to get me to report the patient was "being difficult" while halfway lifted into a Hoyer). "It happens" was the reply when I was taken aback by the public show the other resident put on. This was in my mid-twenties; while I was still pretty naïve and believed in the inherent good of people and had a "desire to care for others" at that age, I was even more innocent at 15/16/17/18...so I can't imagine high schoolers learning/having to put up with this at such a young age.
I'm not sure I think a high school student graduating with a full AD is a good idea. That's an intense and pretty hard course on it's own much less incorporating it with required high school courses. Plus I don't see how facilities will be on board with minor's during the clinical rotations.
When I read the title my mind jumped to the students finishing all their pre-req's as part of a high school curriculum and then finishing their core nursing classes at a university which would not only get them finished much faster it would cut their tuition greatly. Now that I think is a great idea.
I personally feel this won’t work. There’s a high school CNA program here that started with 18 students and will only finish with 3. Too much info for these young brains to take in their brains. The LPN HS programs here in NYC are barely scraping out graduates.
I haven't read all of the comments, but I was a CNA as a junior in high school, I graduated high school with the first semester of my LPN classes finished and graduated LPN school two days after I turned 19. It's possible for young adults to know what they want out of a career and to be mature enough to do so.
That said, completing the entire program in high school seems like it would be difficult. And I wonder if they have to pay for the classes (my CNA and LPN classes in high school were free, score!)
I feel like this is an insult to nursing and higher education. Sure I understand working toward college credit in HS, but if it is so easy to become a nurse then it takes away any professionalism and credibility associated with nursing. Should such young minds be adulting and entrusted to the lives of others? Not to mention, as another has stated these young ones would be exposed to things that I feel would be traumatic to their development.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
16 hours ago, dexilna said:
Why are we so ok with giving an 18y/o a gun and sending them off to murder in wars, but when it comes to saving others lives suddenly they're too young? I'm kind of disgusted that we would sooner be ok with raising murderers than with healers...
If the student is responsible enough to pass the nursing classes (while finishing their HS classes at that), and then pass the same boards we all take, then obviously they are as prepared to enter into our field the same as the rest of us were.
Actually, the military doesn't just hand kids guns and send them off. There is such a thing as basic training which starts after reaching 18.
Those of us who are nurses know what is required to become a functioning nurse. You generally have to be 18 to start the process, because the process itself requires at least a basic level of maturity. The process is involved and intense; piggybacking this onto basic requirements to complete high school is just not feasible.
I do think having vocational programs in high school is a great idea for those who are disinclined toward an academic track. But to become a registered nurse: you do have to be inclined toward an academic track.
im not too sure if they do it anymore, but one of the vo-tech programs here (referred to the academy for health sciences or something) originally had the students graduate with their LPN. then there was a bridge program with the county college to get the RN in i believe a year of classes. I don't think they do it anymore - i was browsing the academy's programs recently as my little darling is coming of academy age and i didn't see anything about it. (to be fair, i didn't look very hard - my kiddo wants to be a starving artist)
Hoosier_RN, MSN
3,968 Posts
They have this in IN in my geographic area. They get their CNA cert, but have some classes towards prereqs. This make more sense