Mentoring high school students in a perioperative setting

Mentoring high school students in perioperative nursing taps an unconventional resource for nursing recruitment. For the past four years, a perioperative nurse has mentored high school students through the Advanced Academic Internship Program of the Miami-Dade County Public School System, Miami, Fla. The students work side by side with their perioperative nurse mentor two or four days a week for the entire school year. Students learn about anatomy related to ophthalmic, orthopedic, and otolaryngology procedures performed at the facility as well as the various roles of health care providers in the perioperative environment. They receive academic grades based on attendance, conduct, and academic performance on a final paper or presentation.