Mentorship - Pilot Program
Pilot Program
The Office of Nursing Workforce and the Meridian Public School District Vocational Work Adjustment Project/GED Program (Workforce Investment Area) began collaboration on a project aimed at high school youth with career interests in the health care field, especially nursing. The project, called the Meridian WIA Student Nurse Academy (Academy), began November 2003, with the selection of 20 students from Meridian High School and the Meridian WIA GED program. The program was piloted at Rush Foundation Hospital January 2004. Partners in this project included Meridian High School, the Meridian Public School District, Rush Hospital, the Twin Districts Workforce Investment Area (Meridian Vocational Work Adjustment Project/GED Program), the Mississippi Development Authority, the Office of Nursing Workforce, and Meridian Community College (Certified Nurse Assistant Program).
Students participating in the Academy were given the opportunity to see firsthand what it would be like to work in a hospital/health care environment. The students received tutoring, mentoring, life skills training, and a basic knowledge of medical terminology and nursing skills. The last month of the program was dedicated entirely to a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) program.
The Academy met two days a week after school for seven weeks at Rush Foundation Hospital under the instruction of a Registered Nurse. The twenty students were divided into two groups of ten, each group meeting for seven weeks consecutively. Guest speakers from various units in the hospital spoke to the students on their respective areas of specialty. The topics covered literally every aspect of patient care within the hospital setting ranging from HIPPA regulations to Labor and Delivery. Students were educated in basic health-related lessons by the RN instructor, tutoring, and basic life skills training. A job shadowing schedule was implemented allowing students to gain experience working in various units of the hospital and to experience working with professional hospital staff.
A graduation luncheon and awards ceremony was held for the students who successfully completed the seven-week mentorship Academy. Each student was awarded a certificate of completion and a nurse’s kit to be used in a CNA program during the month of June. The program had a 100% success rate with all 20 students completing the Academy.
June 2004 marked phase two of the mentorship program with the students enrolling in an 80-hour CNA course. Eighteen of the 20 students enrolled in the CNA program which met everyday for 21/2 weeks at Meridian Community College. The students completed the required classroom time and clinical hours necessary to be eligible for the State Certification Examination. A pinning ceremony was held at Rush Foundation Hospital to honor the students for their exemplary work in the CNA course. Each student was awarded a certificate of completion from Meridian Community College and nurse assistant pin from the Office of Nursing Workforce.
Sixteen of the 18 CNA students took the state certification examination. All 16 of the CNA students passed the written portion of the exam. Fourteen of the 16 have completed the entire certification process and are now Certified Nurse Assistants.
The Academy has proven to be a great success in Meridian and a great opportunity for any student with an interest a health care career. The students in the Meridian WIA Student Nurse Academy were introduced to many aspects of the field, and will already know many of the benefits that come with being a nurse or another health care professional upon entering college or the workforce.
The program’s successfulness merited its continuation for the 2004-2005 school years. There are already more students interested in the program than there are available slots. The Mississippi Development Authority recommended and funded the expansion of the project to include three additional sites during FY 05.
The philosophy of ONW is that Mississippi’s health care workforce will be stronger if we invest in our young people; in essence “Growing Our Own” for tomorrow’s future. The video, “Growing Our Own” is a tool designed to give the audience a comprehensive overview of the Mississippi High School Mentorship Project, and generate interest in expanding the project to other areas of the state. After reviewing the video, if you would like additional information, please contact our office or email info@monw.org.