Simulating Nursing School to Engage High School Students

With the growing number of minority citizens receiving health care, increasing the number of minority students who will become nurses is important. Minority representation in professional nursing is low, and innovative steps are needed to encourage enrollment into nursing programs. A large university in the southwest United States has taken a proactive role by conducting a summer camp that introduces high school students to the profession of nursing. Campers learned foundational skills and applied them using an infant simulation scenario. End-of-camp simulation revealed active learning occurred. Simulation was an effective strategy to educate high school campers.