Nursing Pipeline Program for High School Students in Career Technical Education: A Feasibility Pilot Study
Maja Djukic1, D'hania L Miller1, Ana Lorena Hermosilla1
1Jane and Robert Cizik School of Nursing, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA.
Western Journal of Nursing Research
|December 2, 2025
Summary
This pilot study shows that a summer nursing pipeline program for high school students in career technical education (CTE) is feasible and well-received. Partnering with CTE programs can help build a sustainable future for the nursing workforce.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Healthcare Workforce Development
- Career Technical Education
Background:
- Declining enrollment in pre-licensure nursing programs exacerbates the registered nurse shortage in the U.S.
- Proactive engagement with K-12 students is crucial to promote nursing careers and address enrollment challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a pilot nursing pipeline summer program.
- To target high school students enrolled in career technical education (CTE) programs.
Main Methods:
- A pilot feasibility study involving 11th and 12th-grade high school students.
- Data collection through electronic surveys assessing program acceptability.
Main Results:
- 31 students were recruited into the blended-learning summer program.
- 27 students completed the program, earning 5 industry-recognized certifications.
- 16 survey respondents reported positive experiences, with 93.8% enjoying the course and 87.5% recommending it.
Conclusions:
- Career Technical Education (CTE) offers a valuable, underutilized pathway to recruit youth into nursing.
- Partnerships between nursing programs and high schools with CTE programs are recommended to strengthen the nursing pipeline.
Keywords:
career technical educationnursesnursing pipelinestudent recruitmentstudent retentionworkforceMore Related Videos
05:04Author Spotlight: Evaluating Clinicians' Adoption of Ultrasound-Guided Vascular Cannulation Through Simulation Training
Published on: August 9, 2024
1.4K
13:44Project-Based Learning Guidelines for Health Sciences Students: An Analysis with Data Mining and Qualitative Techniques
Published on: December 9, 2022
4.1K
Related Concept Videos
01:15Nursing Implementation
5.9K
Implementation is the execution of the nursing care plan developed during the planning phase.
The five steps to implementing effective nursing care include reassessing the patient, reviewing and revising the existing nursing care plan, organizing the resources and care delivery, anticipating and preventing complications, and implementing nursing interventions.
The five steps to implementing effective nursing care include reassessing the patient, reviewing and revising the existing nursing care plan, organizing the resources and care delivery, anticipating and preventing complications, and implementing nursing interventions.
5.9K
01:30National Nursing Organizations II
1.9K
Nursing organizations play a vital role in representing nurses working in specialized clinical settings, such as the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
The AACN emphasizes a healthy work environment through six standards to achieve an optimal patient outcome. The standards are appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, collaboration, authentic leadership, effective communication, and decision-making. In addition, AACN provides certification programs, webinars, journals, and...
The AACN emphasizes a healthy work environment through six standards to achieve an optimal patient outcome. The standards are appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, collaboration, authentic leadership, effective communication, and decision-making. In addition, AACN provides certification programs, webinars, journals, and...
1.9K
01:30Current Trends in Nursing II
3.3K
Trends in nursing are multifactorial and associated with changes in society, within the nursing profession, and in other professions. Notably, telehealth and remote nursing contribute to successful healthcare delivery for numerous patients and help reduce stress for nurses due to nursing shortages. Nurses can reach patients, monitor their conditions, and interact with them using computers, audio, visual accessories, and telephones—for example, remote patient monitoring systems. Likewise,...
3.3K
01:28Current Trends in Nursing I
5.2K
Current trends in nursing include:
5.2K
01:22The Professional Nurse
5.7K
Professional nurses are not limited to bedside care and are taking roles of greater responsibility. A nurse should have a knowledge-based practice, including personal, theoretical, procedural, cultural, and reflexive knowledge. Additionally, nurses must be competent in cognitive, technical, interpersonal, and ethical/legal skills. Some of the best attributes of successful nurses include the following:
Communication skills: These are critical characteristics, especially speaking and listening.
Communication skills: These are critical characteristics, especially speaking and listening.
5.7K
01:15Nursing Evaluation
4.1K
The evaluation stage signals the end of the nursing process. The nurse gathers evaluative data to assess whether or not the patient has attained the expected results. Whereas the nurse collects data in the nursing assessment to identify the patient's health concerns, the evaluation stage data determines if the indicated health issues are resolved. Evaluative data collection includes two sections: the data acquired to evaluate patient outcomes and the time criteria for data collection.
4.1K