Foundations of Nursing
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By the year 2020, there will be an estimated shortage of 800,000 nurses. With the world population living longer and needing more care, the healthcare field is one of the best places to begin your career, and will likely stay that way for many years to come. With over 100,000 vacant positions the career outlook is excellent for the nursing field.
Nursing is a highly regarded profession, and you can become a part of it. This Center of Excellence program is for seniors who want to prepare for a career in healthcare.
This program is for seniors (or juniors by recommendation) who are interested in exploring nursing as a career.
Credit hours
You will receive three units of high school credit for this program and leave with a foundational understanding of the healthcare industry and how nurses perform their daily tasks on the job.
What you’ll learn.
This program includes mastering foundation content in the classroom, practicing job skills in the lab, exploring nursing careers through job shadowing in the healthcare industry, and perfecting job skills through clinical training experiences in healthcare facilities.
First semester will focus on understanding the industry, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology and learning and practicing entry-level job skills in the lab.
The focus of the second semester shifts to the industry setting where students explore health careers in a clinical setting. You will observe healthcare professionals and perfect clinical skills by providing direct patient care under the supervision of a clinical supervisor. If you successfully complete the program, you will have met the requirements to take the final examination to become a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
Schedule
One-year program
You’ll take classes at
Herndon Career Center
11501 E. 350 Highway
Raytown, MO 64138
Prerequisites
Minimum 2.0 GPA
90% attendance
Reading, writing, and math at the 10th grade level
Biology 1 with C or better
(Anatomy and Physiology, Introduction to Health Careers, Chemistry and Psychology recommended)
Other Requirements
You must provide your transportation to the clinical sites. A background check will be required for clinical assignments. Uniforms will be required for clinical experiences. Your contribution to expenses for this program could be up to $275 for registration, uniforms, equipment and other materials.
Demand and Pay
Below are wages and expected employment growth according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration’s O*NET career exploration and job analysis tool.
Surgical Technician (career certificate or associate’s degree)
Median wages: $18.94 hourly, $39,400 annual
Number of people already in the industry: 92,000
Projected job openings (2008-2018): 46,300
Registered Nurse (associate's degree or higher)
Median wages: $30.65 hourly, $63,750 annual
Number of people already in the industry: 2,619,000
Projected job openings (2008-2018): 1,039,000
Skills, character and physical traits of successful people in this career:
- Helping people understand health care instructions
- Treating physical or mental problems
- Providing health care support services
- Following spoken instructions
- Team player
- Collecting and recording medical information
- Developing and using computerized medical records
- Critical thinking, monitoring and speaking skills
To apply
Contact your high school counseling office to complete an application, student contract and student essay of interest. Your school will determine if you meet the program criteria. If you do not, but your counselor or principal feel you can be successful in the program, they can recommend you.
