Maryvale High School launches nursing academy

Arizona Nurse,  Jul 2003  by Player, Kathy

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Local students given the opportunity to begin their nursing careers while still in high school.

Maryvale High School in Phoenix is pioneering a program for students interested in pursuing a career in nursing with the inception of a nursing academy that began three years ago. Maryvale High School, in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, has many "at risk" students with a graduation rate of 51%.

The brainchild of Randy Peterson, RN, MSN, Maryvale's school nurse, the program has attracted the future nurses that Arizona needs. "We need more minority nurses to match the faces of our patients, and I have easy access to making that happen" said Peterson. Peterson started the program with seven students in 1999 and currently over 36 students are involved. A student from the first session is now at Metro Tech in the LPN program while several others are working to complete their CNA program. As one of the students in the Academy said, "This is an great opportunity for us to see what nursing is all about."

To gain admission into the Academy, students must attend Maryvale High School, maintain a 2.5 GPA, provide an essay explaining why they want to enter the nursing profession along with their report card. The students are dedicated and must adhere to a rigorous weekly schedule. After attending classes all day, students have tutoring, guest nursing speakers and on Thursdays the students go to Good Samaritan Hospital to volunteer. They work alongside Registered Nurses on an assigned unit and have many opportunities to observe patient care, as well as interact with the patients themselves. Working with the patients is the most rewarding part of the experience for the students. In the words of one student, "It is great when the patients smile and say thank you for being here, it makes you feel like you really made a difference in their lives."

Last month, Kathy Player, AzNA President, worked with the students to sharpen their media skills, as word is spreading across the country about the impact this type of program can have on the nursing shortage. Although many students have already "starred" in healthcare videos and have provided interviews to newspapers and TV reporters, students enjoyed the opportunity to role-play and test out their interview skills. For those willing to volunteer as a guest speaker or donate used nursing textbooks, contact Randy Peterson at 602-764-2024.

Kathy Player, RN, EdD

Copyright Arizona State Nurses Association Jul 2003
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