Partnering to provide a summer institute of nursing

With national projections indicating the need for more RNs to meet the health care workforce demands, innovative strategies to recruit high school students into the profession of nursing must be utilized. This article describes an innovative strategy aimed at high school students through a Summer Institute of Nursing--a 5-day, 4-night, college-based experience--designed to allow them the opportunity to explore the profession of nursing. Through skills laboratories, service projects, and health care site visits, students were able to experience the profession of nursing hands on. Based on the research conducted through pre- and post-surveys, the high school students experienced a significant change in their likelihood of pursuing a career in nursing after completing the Institute (p < 0.001). The format of the Summer Institute of Nursing represents an innovative strategy to recruit high school students into the profession of nursing.