University Hospitals Announces Expansion of UH Future Nurse Academy

CLEVELAND – University Hospitals (UH) is expanding the UH Future Nurse Academy to three locations, tripling the opportunity for area high school students. UH partnered with local colleges to have an Academy on the east side, west side and a central location to make it more convenient for students.

Lakeland Community College will host the first session next week, from June 17-28, followed by Cuyahoga Community College July 8-19, and finally Lorain Community College from July 22-August 2. This year’s 78 students hail from 43 different high schools, and live in 45 different cities representing ten different counties, including Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Huron and Summit.

Last summer, University Hospitals introduced the UH Future Nurse Academy, a two-week paid summer program designed to expose high school students to a compelling and rewarding career in nursing. The inaugural 26 students were thrilled with their experience. One mother said, “I believe this program changed my daughter’s life. She has been focused and motivated since participating, and it helped to see a different path possible for herself.”

About the Academy

“The UH Future Nurse Academy sets students up for success by connecting them with UH clinicians and partners, and providing an array of opportunities for hands-on learning. The Academy builds on students’ existing skills to help them navigate healthcare career paths following high school graduation,” said Michelle Hereford, MSHA, RN, FACHE, System Chief Nurse Executive and Ethel Morikis Endowed Chair in Nursing Leadership.

Each of the three Academy’s itineraries include visits to nursing schools in the Cleveland area, tours of UH facilities, in-person nursing skills training, as well as:

• Hands-on practice taking vital signs, administering CPR and drawing (simulated) blood
• Approaches to problem-solving, critical thinking, executive functioning, and social and emotional skills necessary for success
• Health and wellness best practices
• Simulation lab and clinical experiences
• Best practices and strategies to address social determinants of health

UH’s goal is that students follow their dream of contributing to the healthcare profession by becoming nursing professionals and stay in Northeast Ohio upon graduation.

Opportunities worth noting:

Lakeland Community College, 7700 Clocktower Dr., Kirtland, Ohio 44094

Monday, June 17: Infection Prevention, 1 – 3 p.m.

Wednesday, June 19: Simulation Center, 9 a.m. – noon

Thursday, June 20: Phlebotomy, 9 a.m. – noon

Monday, June 24: CPR, Oxygen/AED and First Aid/Stop the Bleed training, 9 am – noon

Friday, June 28: Poverty Simulation presented by the Greater Cleveland Foodbank, 9 a.m. – noon; Graduation and pinning ceremony 1:30-3:30 p.m.