Claim Your Future: High School Initiative Prepares Students for Healthcare Careers

Claim Your Future: High School Initiative Prepares Students for Healthcare Careers

In a unique effort to jump-start young people into healthcare professions, including nursing, one philanthropy will provide $250 million to create special high schools to prepare students for healthcare careers .

In January, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced an initiative to pair public education systems and hospitals in ten communities nationwide, ranging from Boston, MA, to Demopolis, AL. “By combining classroom learning with hands-on experience, these specialized healthcare high schools will prepare students for careers with opportunities for growth and advancement,” says Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City, in a press release.

According to Bloomberg Philanthropies, each school, whether newly established through this initiative or a revamp of an existing school, will offer students robust academic programming, specialized healthcare classes, work-based learning at the partner health system, and the opportunity to earn credentials and certifications.

Immediately upon graduation, a press release notes that students can enter healthcare jobs within the partner healthcare system or advance their healthcare career through post-secondary education. As part of this initiative, all health system partners have committed to providing job opportunities for students who complete the graduation requirements of their programs.

Memorial Hermann Staff Teach Alongside High School Teachers

At Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System, the initiative can help address the nursing shortage, according to Bryan Sisk, DNP, RN, chief nursing executive at the system. “The pressure is on to be innovative and look at unique ways to solve this,” he says.

high-school-initiative-prepares-students-for-healthcare-careers

Bryan Sisk, DNP, RN, chief nursing executive at Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System

An initial $31 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies will enable Memorial Hermann and the Aldine Independent School District to build the Health Education and Learning High School or HEAL High School. Specifically, according to Sisk, the program will refurbish the existing ninth-grade campus at Nimitz High School, creating a mock hospital environment. What students see in their daily interactions at school with the exam rooms “will be the same specification they’ll see when they start their work-based learning programs,” he says.

“The idea behind this partnership is to immerse them,” said Sisk in an interview. Students will start with a summer program before they enter ninth grade and continue it every summer, including the summer after graduating high school. They will participate in job shadowing and rotate through the hospital to see five different career pathways, including nursing, imaging, rehabilitation (physical and occupational therapy), pharmacy, and non-clinical administration.

Starting in ninth grade, Memorial Hermann staff members will teach alongside the high school teachers. “We will create a four-year relationship with these individuals so that we can make sure they have the tools to be successful,” Sisk explains. When students turn 16, usually in the 11th grade, they’ll have an opportunity to start their work experience at Memorial Hermann, according to Sisk.

Sisk hopes this program will excite students about nursing and eventually help stem the tide of nurses leaving the profession. “I think we can turn that tide because these individuals will be immersed in healthcare and nursing over a four-year window. They’ll have nurses working directly with them. They’ll get to know nurses; they’ll get to see what the job entails.” What’s more, after they graduate from high school, they’ll be followed for a year to maintain a connection and help them be successful, notes Sisk.

A side benefit of the program involves promoting health equity. “If you’re truly going to tackle health equity, there’s no better way to do that than to go and get individuals who live in that community, who are invested in that community, and get them on a career track where they can earn a living wage,” Sisk says. They can then, he notes, “encourage future generations to go down this pathway.”

Sisk stresses that the effort is a partnership involving the leaders of Memorial Hermann, Aldine ISD, and the community. “It is something that everybody’s rallying around,” he says. “I think this is going to turn into something that we can do on a much larger scale in Houston,” Sisk says.

Unlocking the College Financial Aid Vault – More Difficult Than Ever

Unlocking the College Financial Aid Vault – More Difficult Than Ever

The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the revamped version purportedly designed to streamline the process and make life easier for FAFSA applicants.

Really? A closer look reveals potential concerns that merit careful consideration.

Let’s delve into some critical changes in FAFSA that require your attention and understanding.

The FAFSA application was only made accessible through a limited “soft launch” on December 31, 2023. In previous years, the FAFSA would have been accessible as early as October 1, 2023, allowing families to submit their applications early. This early availability traditionally facilitated colleges receiving aid information early, enabling families to receive financial aid offers early. Consequently, families could engage in a competitive review of various offers, leading to well-informed decisions. Not this year! The altered timeline for the FAFSA application in the current year has disrupted this established process.

College Financial aid staff will not receive families’ FAFSA information until mid-March. This delay implies that financial aid offers, which typically would have been distributed in January in previous years, are now expected to be delayed until mid-April.

To navigate the financial aid process effectively, it is crucial to assume full ownership of the process. As the captain of your ship, don’t presume smooth sailing ahead. Take charge by ensuring that you follow up on every detail. Foster collaboration with all the colleges you’ve applied to and proactively visit the financial aid office to check that all the t’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted. Run, don’t walk!

In prior years, only the student and one parent were required to possess a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID). However, for the 2024-25 form, anyone providing information, including the student’s spouse, biological or adoptive parent, or the parent’s spouse, must also obtain an individual FSA ID. Creating an FSA ID requires “contributors” to furnish their Social Security Numbers and email addresses – or nothing moves forward. Students should acquire their FSA ID first before all other “contributors”.

The revised FAFSA permits students to submit their application to a maximum of 20 schools.

Sibling Discount Rescinded! 

In contrast to the previous FAFSA formula, which factored in multiple children concurrently attending college, the new formula does not. Consequently, families with multiple students in college will no longer receive any financial benefits. It’s essential to appeal the sibling discount removal at the college chosen to attend, particularly if your children are enrolled in colleges with substantial endowments. These institutions might decide to compensate for the loss of funding using their discretionary funds. Historically, if your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), now called the Student Aid Index (SAI), was $20,000, the amount was split between the two children. Now, it will be $20,000 per child. This is the opportune time to appeal for additional funds as soon as possible!

Farmers and Small Business Owner Changes 

Families with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $60,000 or more operating small businesses with 100 or fewer employees will experience a change. This new FAFSA legislation will also impact families owning farms with an AGI over $60,000. Under the new rules, the business and the farm will now be regarded as financial assets eligible to contribute to college expenses. In the past, this did not apply. However, families with an income of $59,999 or less are exempt from reporting any assets, including the valuation of a small business or a family farm.

Custodial Parent Changes

In cases of parental divorce or separation, the FAFSA completion responsibility now falls on the parent who provides the highest financial support. This marks a departure from the previous requirement, where the custodial parent, defined as the one with whom the child primarily resides in the year leading up to FAFSA filing, was obligated to complete the form. This adjustment will likely prompt delicate discussions and necessitate a thorough financial review, accompanied by the submission of relevant documentation.

And now, some good news!

Commencing the 2023-24 academic year, students are no longer required to disclose cash support from grandparents or extended family when completing the FAFSA application. Grandparents holding 529 accounts for their grandchildren can utilize these funds for college tuition without adversely affecting their grandchildren’s eligibility for financial aid.

This modification stems from the stimulus bill passed at the close of 2020. Previously, FAFSA considered contributions from grandparents as untaxed income to the grandchild, subjecting them to a 50 percent assessment—significantly higher than the 5.65 percent rate applied to a parent’s contributions.

For instance, a $20,000 contribution from a grandparent could reduce a student’s financial aid by $10,000. Consequently, many grandparents postponed their distributions until the student’s junior year of college to avoid these contributions affecting the FAFSA. With this alteration, such strategic delays are no longer necessary.

Final Thoughts About the 2024-25 FAFSA

Given the anticipated increase in appeals this year, it is crucial to communicate with the financial aid office as early as possible after receiving your offer letter if you think you have the need to appeal. Reach out to the office directly and collaborate with a designated financial aid counselor. Remember, it’s up to you to take full responsibility for the entire process and adopt an assertive, not aggressive, approach.

Learn more about paying for your graduate nursing education without going broke in Buck’s book, written specifically for graduate nursing students who need an effective college funding plan. It offers little-known but highly effective strategies for financing graduate nursing programs without going broke.

Adelphi Nursing Program Receives Maximum Accreditation

Adelphi Nursing Program Receives Maximum Accreditation

Adelphi University’s College of Nursing and Public Health’s nursing program has been granted accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education’s (CCNE) Board of Commissioners. Adelphi’s undergraduate and graduate nursing programs met all four CCNE accreditation standards and are accredited for ten years through December 2033.

The prestigious accreditation follows a comprehensive self-study and review by a peer-review team of CCNE examiners, then a review by the commission. The 10-year accreditation is the maximum awarded to a nursing program.

Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Undergraduate Nursing Program – jumping an unprecedented 19 spots in a single year in the 2024 rankings – Adelphi is also ranked a Best Grad School for Nursing by U.S. News.

“We are thrilled to have received the maximum accreditation by CCNE for our nursing programs,” said Deborah Hunt, PhD, RN, dean of Adelphi’s College of Nursing and Public Health. “The Commission’s approval is a testament to the quality and strength of our faculty and staff, who play such a vital role in our innovative and highly ranked nursing programs. The CCNE accreditation team was professional and supportive throughout the visit.”

The accredited programs include:

Baccalaureate Degree Program in Nursing

Adelphi’s hands-on BS in nursing is designed to prepare students for rewarding, critical roles in the expanding healthcare field, promoting wellness throughout their lives. Graduates go on to work in hospitals and healthcare facilities, in various community-based settings and can practice in any number of specialty areas. In addition to the traditional program, Adelphi also offers an Accelerated Nursing Program,  which gives students the chance to achieve a BS in Nursing in just 14 months.

Master’s Degree in Nursing (online)

Ranked one of New York’s top online nursing graduate programs, this flexible, online degree program prepares students for much-needed nurse training and education roles. Students in the program will build skills in instruction, performance evaluation, and the implementation of innovative approaches to nursing education. Graduates go on to work in higher education, educating nurses in clinics and hospitals, taking on a clinical supervisor role in healthcare settings, or working as a consultant for teaching institutions.

Adelphi also offers other nursing-related MS degrees, including the Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program (online and in-person) and the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program (hybrid).

Post-graduate Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) programs

This advanced nursing practice post-master’s certificate entails an in-depth study of adult-health nursing. The curriculum integrates theoretical knowledge and practical skills while exploring the issues and forces within the healthcare delivery system that affect the roles of the advanced practice nurse.

Post-graduate Mental Health Nursing Practitioner

This post-master’s advanced practice concentration entails an in-depth study of psychiatric-mental health nursing across the lifespan. Designed for students who are already licensed NPs in another specialty, the curriculum integrates theoretical knowledge and practice skills to prepare nurses at the graduate level for the care of psychiatric-mental health clients, individuals, families, and communities.

“We appreciate the support of President Riordan and Provost Storm and the entire Adelphi University community, including our CNPH faculty, staff, students, alums, administrators, advisory board, and clinical partners who helped to make this visit so successful,” said Hunt. “I would also like to recognize the leadership of the Steering Committee chairs, Vera Bender, Professor and PhD in Nursing Program Director, Dr. Patricia Donohue-Porter, and Associate Dean, Dr. Mary Hickey, who guided the process. This was truly a collaborative effort.”

How Nursing Students Can Deal with Test Anxiety

How Nursing Students Can Deal with Test Anxiety

For nursing students, taking tests is a typical path to becoming an RN. For many students, though, studying and taking rigorous tests (like the NCLEX) can be an overly intense experience, causing nurses to feel test anxiety and fear over their grades.

So what is this feeling nurses get when they’re overwhelmed before a test? According to a 2023 study , test anxiety refers to the emotions we feel whenever we think about the possible downfalls of failing an exam. However, test anxiety is common for many nurses and even highlights how much we place importance on our futures.

If you struggle with test anxiety, you’re not alone. Read on to learn what test anxiety looks like for you and what strategies can help you handle this.

What Can Test Anxiety Look Like?

Test anxiety, or exam stress, is different and can range in intensity for everyone— so not everyone experiences the same symptoms. Besides feeling anxiety, this can look like becoming distracted and unable to recall information while taking a test and engaging in negative self-talk. Some physical symptoms include sweating, nausea, heart palpitations, and headaches. Procrastination is usually common, so we might wait until the last minute because of how severe exam stress feels.

Why Nurses Struggle with Test Anxiety

Test anxiety usually comes from nurses feeling a high pressure to ace their exams and stay on top of the intense workload that comes with their program, according to psychiatric mental health nurse Aneesah Coates, BSN, RN. 

“The material they are learning is critical for patient care and can be overwhelming to absorb and retain,” she says. “The competitive nature of nursing programs also adds to the stress and creates a fear of failure.”

Exam stress can also be from other common causes, such as thinking of grades as a measure of validation, feeling helpless over how you’ll perform, or giving into the guilt that not preparing the “right” way for a test means you’ll fail.

Taking exams in a nursing program isn’t easy, so recognizing that you’ve taken steps to stop and realize your anxiety over an exam is one step to feeling more at ease.

How to Prepare Before and After an Exam 

Here are a few ways you can manage your test anxiety better. Try one or more methods to see if they work; if they do, tweak them to suit your needs.

Plan a study schedule. Decide how you want to prioritize and plan what you want to study. When do you want to start studying before an exam, and for how long? Asking yourself questions like these will help you look for moments to start writing down notes and getting into a study mindset.

Find studying habits that fit you. Coates suggests combining studying methods to see what works for you. For her, using different colored pens while taking notes worked by how she could visually see and retain what she was learning.

Other studying tips you can try include:

  • Writing down “memory bullets” with trigger words and acronyms to help you identify key points during test-taking
  • Recording yourself reading notes and listening to them while doing other tasks
  • Utilizing a quiet study space where you can concentrate
  • Finding study guides or other exam prep material relevant to your field

Take care of your body. This one might sound obvious, but ensure you get enough sleep and feel rested the day of your test. For example, the NCLEX takes five hours to complete, so bring snacks and water with you so you have enough energy and don’t get dehydrated.

Understand the material; don’t just memorize. As a future nurse, you want to be ready for any unexpected situation, so it’s essential to understand what you’re learning long-term. This is also helpful for taking the NCLEX since the exam tests how you would apply the knowledge you learned in real-life situations. Try testing your knowledge of the material with practice quizzes to determine what areas you need to improve.

Discover what motivates you. Coming back to why you enrolled in a nursing program might be the push you need to overcome exam stress.

“Preparing for the NCLEX or any other test can be challenging, but it’s important to remember that you have already come so far and have the knowledge and skills needed to succeed,” says Coates.

Your classmates can also support you when you need a study partner. It’s also helpful to know that other students struggle with exam stress, so focusing on your progress and trusting in your abilities is a great way to let your test anxiety go.

8 Books as Holiday Gift Ideas for Nurses and Nursing Students

8 Books as Holiday Gift Ideas for Nurses and Nursing Students

Educational books can make excellent holiday gifts for nurses and nursing students. However, with so many titles to choose from, it can take time to determine where to start. Fortunately, Daily Nurse has compiled a list of eight great books written by nurses and healthcare professionals, making it easier to find the perfect gift.

1. Nurse Making Policy: From Beside to Boardroom

This book is perfect for: Nurse leaders interested in advancing health policy.

2. Fast Facts about LGBTQ+ Care for Nurses: How to Deliver Culturally Competent and Inclusive Care

This book is perfect for: Nurses focused on the unique health needs and inequities affecting LGBTQ+ patients.

3. Fast Facts about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Nursing: Building Competencies for an Antiracism Practice

This book is perfect for: Nurses, nursing students, and nurse educators who want to understand race and racism at structural, institutional, and individual levels.

4. Medical Imaging for the Health Care Provider: Practical Radiograph Interpretation

This book is perfect for: Nurses and other healthcare providers that work with medical imaging testing modalities: radiographs, CTs, nuclear imaging, and ultrasound scans and images.

5. CMSA’s Integrated Case Management: A Manual for Case Managers by Case Managers

This book is perfect for: Case management nurses or nurses interested in this nursing specialty.

6. Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Practice Guidelines

This book is perfect for: NPs, PAs, and other advanced practice providers practicing adult-gerontology acute care.

7. Penner’s Economics and Financial Management for Nurses and Nurse Leaders

This book is perfect for: Nurses and nurse leaders who want to learn fundamental economic and financial management skills to be successful in daily practice and career advancement.

8. Hale’s Medications & Mothers’ Milk 2023: A Manual of Lactational Pharmacology

This book is perfect for: Lactation support professionals.

USE CODE CM23 AT CHECKOUT AND SAVE 25% OFF 

RCC Nursing Program Achieves Perfection in NCLEX Pass Rate at 100%

RCC Nursing Program Achieves Perfection in NCLEX Pass Rate at 100%

The Rockland Community College (RCC) Nursing Program demonstrates its commitment to excellence, with its students achieving a remarkable 100% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in the third quarter of 2023.

This accomplishment contributes to an impressive overall pass rate of 98% for the year, nearing a record-breaking number. Such consistent success is not an isolated achievement; over the last five years, RCC Nursing students have consistently maintained pass rates in the 90th percentile, reaching a peak of 99% in 2020.

The College’s accredited associate degree in nursing (ADN) program prepares nurses to meet the community’s needs. It incorporates philosophical beliefs, scientific discipline, and concepts from nursing research to prepare nurses for careers in the ever-changing healthcare system. Tuition costs at RCC are about one-third of other colleges in New York, making it an affordable choice for future nurses.

“This is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff and a reflection of the exceptional caliber of students we are honored to nurture at Rockland Community College. We don’t just teach; we inspire excellence,” says Dr. Maureen Kroning, Dean for the School of Nursing, Health and Wellness at Rockland Community College.

NursingProcess.org, a website that compiles nursing education and career information data, ranked RCC’s program # 2 out of 153 New York State Board of Nursing-approved schools to pursue an associate degree program in nursing. In addition, RegisteredNursing.org, a nursing advocacy organization, released its annual list of the 2023 Best RN programs and ranked the Rockland Community College Nursing Program fifth out of 103 in New York State.