To address a national nursing shortage intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vanderbilt University Medical Center is looking to recruit the next generation of nurses earlier than ever — in high school.
VUMC is collaborating with Nurses Middle College Nashville (Nurses MC), a proposed public charter school, which is seeking approval from the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to prepare high school students for careers in nursing.
A 2022 study shows that after steady growth in the national nursing workforce since the 1970s, the supply of nurses dropped by 100,000 from 2020 to 2021, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. VUMC has been working on multiple tracks to provide more pathways for nurses, including nurses with diverse backgrounds.
“The nursing shortage is real,” said Donald Brady, MD, executive vice president for Educational Affairs for VUMC. “The proposed partnership with Nurses MC is one of many ways that VUMC is working to get more youth excited about careers in nursing and health-care related fields.”
Mamie Williams, PhD, MPH, APRN, senior director for Nurse Diversity and Inclusion at VUMC, has been collaborating with the nonprofit charter organization, which has operated a nursing-focused charter school in Providence, Rhode Island, since 2011 and has opened a second location in the Albany, New York region.
Nurses MC cites these results for its graduates:
- More than 90% of Nurses MC students graduate on time.
- Approximately 85% of graduates enroll in college, many pursuing nursing-related programs.
- All students graduate with a valuable nurse aide certification.
- Graduates earn at least three college credits, jumpstarting their higher education journey.
Williams said the program actively encourages the entry of new individuals into the field of nursing, many of whom may not have had prior exposure to nursing through family or friends.
Williams said the VUMC/Nurses MC collaboration is part of her work to create pathways to recruit nurses from diverse and historically underrepresented backgrounds to address a national shortage of nurses. It complements VUMC’s ongoing outreach efforts, including a collaboration with Metro Nashville Public Schools and its Academy of Health Science and Personal Care at Pearl-Cohn High School.
“As a Magnet-designated institution, VUMC has a long history of outreach to promote diversity in the workforce,” Williams said. “A large part of that is creating pathways for people with backgrounds that may not have historically considered careers in nursing. We want them to know about the many opportunities at VUMC.”
At Pearl-Cohn High School, VUMC nurse mentors have been working weekly with high school students interested in nursing and other health care professions. Williams said the collaboration with Nurses MC Nashville will provide more opportunities to mentor high school students specifically interested in nursing and offer job shadowing. As a public charter school, Nurses MC Nashville is expected to have a diverse student body from historically underrepresented groups, Williams said.
Nurses MC Nashville students would complete high school courses focused on nursing and receive experiences in the workplace. Before graduating, they would complete a clinical internship, receive a minimum of three transferable college-level credits, and earn entry-level workforce credentials (such as Certified Nursing Assistant). She hopes many future students will seek employment at VUMC.
Nurses MC Nashville said it hopes to enroll its first class of ninth graders in 2025.
“Nurses Middle College developed an innovative solution to the alarming decline in the nursing workforce, and VUMC is proud to partner with them to address these shortages head-on,” said VUMC System Chief Nursing Officer Karen Keady, PhD, RN. “By championing initiatives like expanded nursing pathways and actively fostering an inclusive environment for nurses from all backgrounds, Nurses MC will help Nashville secure a stronger, more resilient nursing workforce for the future.”
