Recruitment into Nursing Resource Manual
Upper Middle and High School Students (grades 7-12)
Focus:
Group discussion about what it means to be healthy and who
is involved with keeping people healthy (themselves and nurses).
Students can thoroughly understand what a nurse can do.
Suggested activities:
- Students like to hear personal stories - why did you become
a nurse? How did your career progress? How did it change your
life?
- The benefits and drawbacks of being a nurse. You do not
want to be negative, but instead are trying to correct wrong
ideas or rumors, or put negative aspects in a positive light.
- It is OK to give starting salaries, discuss educational
routes and the need for good grades, and courses that
insure admission for college.
- Stress diversity and flexibility. There are lots of
options for nurses like the military, cruise ships, life
flight, specialties, sales, etc. (see hand out).
- Describe a day in the life of a nurse. Give specific examples.
Journal articles of "The most memorable experience or
difficult patient" are good for discussion and examples.
- Encourage and arrange job shadowing. Volunteer yourself
if you can. Talk to the Human Resource person in hospitals
and clinics in your area.
- 5. Encourage volunteering in the acute care facilities.
Talk about your experiences as a volunteer.
- Play nurse teenage style - now students can be walked through
sterile gloving, taking BPs, changing diapers and wrapping
babies. They enjoy knowing the advanced practice possibilities.
Find out if they see an NP.
- Have them tell you their experiences with health care systems
and nurses. Be ready for anything. Students are often unrealistic
with goals - that is fine. Give information without judgment.
Talk about why you prefer nursing to be being a doctor.
- Show them websites for nursing and nursing education information.
Give them pamphlets and information in writing. They will
show little interest, but they and their parents will read
them later if they are interested in nursing.
- Show the MLN tape (or NSNAs') and then break them into small
groups. Give them an overhead sheet and pen. Let them answer
questions and then report them to the whole group.
- What do nurses do? Where do they work? How can you become
a nurse? What is the difference between practical nursing
and registered nursing? How are nurses educated? What
do you think are the most important qualities/attributes
the one need to be a nurse? What courses does a nurse
study? Etc.
- Follow with an emphasis on thinking skills. Show the
wonderful combination of doing tasks, handling many activities,
caring for the whole person - body, mind and spirit. Demonstrate
the respect of the field and the importance of helping
people back to health and showing them how to stay healthy;
to care for the dying too. Make sure to show all ages
and settings. Explain how a nurse might climb a career
ladder and that they can move all over the US and its'
protectorates.
- Talk about nurse heroes - the history of nursing. Be careful
not to stereotype the nurses as only female. You cas still
dress up as Flo (etc.) and be interviewed by the students.
- You may also utilize earlier listed strategies from the
other age groups. Make sure to modify the sophistication level
of the information.
Supplies, resources & books
Sterile gloves and other equipment they can manipulate.
Videos on nursing (MLN and NSNA)
State of Michigan: Contact your legislator and ask for a State
of Michigan publication list and ordering information. The State
offers publications such as:
Child Safety coloring book
Crack Down on Drugs coloring book
Citizen's Guide to Government
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Fire Safety activity book
Recycling coloring book
Your Child
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nursing division
publications at www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/
www.pronurse.com - see
appendix for information about the materials
Cole, Joanna and Degen, Bruce. The Magic School Bus: Inside
the Human Body. Scholastic Inc.; NY. 1989 (ISBN 0-590-4127-5)
Fincher, Judy. Miss Malarkey Won't Be in Today. Walker and
Company; NY. 1998.
(ISBN 0-8027-7591-8)
Seymour, Simon. The Heart: Our Circulation System. A Mulberry
Paperback Book; NY, 1996 (ISBN 0-688-11407-5 trade)
Paperbacks are available about nurses in action or in history.
Ask for help from your local library.
Also, see resources listed under school
age & lower middle school
sections
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