The Teen Nursing Academy continues to demonstrate how early career exploration can expand awareness of and reduce misconceptions about nursing, and inspire students to consider future pathways they may not have previously explored. As WCN continues to expand the program across the state, the Teen Nursing Academy remains an important strategy for strengthening Washington’s future nursing workforce.
Mission: The Teen Nursing Academy is a program developed by the Washington Center of Nursing to introduce diverse, under-resourced, and rural (as well as urban) middle school students to careers in nursing by connecting them with nursing students and professionals through in-person, interactive, and fun learning activities that also educate them about health topics that add value to their lives.
Teen Nursing Academy Essential Documents
- Effective Outreach Strategies for Introducing Middle School Students to Careers in Nursing research paper. (Development of the program was based off recommendations from this report.) https://www.wcnursing.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/reports/2021-December_Introducing-Middle-School-Students-to-Nursing_FINAL.pdf
Current Lesson Plan Options
- Blood Pressure: What is it? How do we measure it? And why is it important?
- Donning and Doffing PPE: What is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and why do nurses wear it?
- Healthy Minds, Healthy Futures: How does pain work in the brain and how can we manage it safely? (pilot year)
2026 Nursing Program Delivery Partner: Highline College
- Number of Highline nursing students participating: 68
- Number of community or pediatric clinical hours earned: 471
2026 Middle Schools
· Muckleshoot Tribal School · Sylvester Middle School | · Mill Creek Middle School · Kilo Middle School |
Number of Middle School Students Participating: 1,405
Measuring Our Impact: Key Finding and Analysis from Student Surveys
Highline’s Nursing Program successfully delivered the Teen Nursing Academy to four middle schools, reaching approximately 1,405 middle school students. WCN received 1,007 pre-program (72%) and 918 post-program (65%) student surveys. Not all surveys were completed fully. The response volume represents a strong sample size and provides a meaningful snapshot of student perceptions before and after participation in the Teen Nursing Academy.
- Survey Question: How much do you know about what nurses do?
Before participating in the Teen Nursing Academy:
- 64% of students reported knowing either “nothing” or only “a little” about what nurses do.
- Only 36% reported knowing “quite a bit” or “a lot.”
After participation:
- Students reporting only “a little/nothing” dropped substantially to 45%.
- Students reporting “quite a bit/a lot” increased to 55%.
This represents:
- A 19 percentage point decrease in low awareness
- A 19 percentage point increase in the strong understanding of nursing roles
- Survey Question: Did the activities presented help you to understand more about what nurses do?
When asked whether the activities helped students understand more about nursing:
- 59% responded “Quite a bit” or “A lot”
- Only 6% responded “None at all”
The data strongly suggests that the Highline nursing program’s delivery of the Teen Nursing Academy effectively improved middle school students’ understanding of the nursing profession.
The hands-on, activity-based model appears highly effective in engaging students and reinforcing learning outcomes. The overwhelmingly positive responses support the value of experiential learning in healthcare career exploration.
- Survey Question: How likely are you to consider nursing as a potential career?
Prior to participation:
- Only 27% of students reported they were “Likely” or “Very likely” to consider nursing as a career.
- 52% reported being “Unlikely” or “Very unlikely.”
- 21% reported they did not know.
Following participation:
- Students reporting “Likely” or “Very likely” increased to 34%.
- Students selecting “I don’t know” decreased from 21% to 15%.
While the program is not designed to immediately convert all students into future nurses, the findings suggest that Teen Nursing Academy successfully:
- Increased openness toward nursing careers
- Reduced uncertainty about nursing as a possible pathway
- Expanded awareness among students who may not have previously considered healthcare careers
This is especially important during the middle school years, when career interests and self-concepts begin to form.
- Survey Question: Did you find today’s activities engaging and fun?
Student engagement levels were notably high:
- 39% described the activities as “A lot of fun”
- 57% described them as “Some fun/A little fun” combined
Only 4% reported “No fun at all.”
The program demonstrates exceptionally high engagement levels, with nearly 96% of students reporting at least some level of enjoyment. This is significant because student engagement is closely tied to knowledge retention, positive career perceptions, and willingness to continue exploring STEM and healthcare fields.
- Survey Question: Did you learn something new?
- 87% of students stated they learned something new through the program.
This finding reinforces the educational value of the Teen Nursing Academy.
- Survey Question: Would you be interested in learning more about becoming a nurse?
After participation:
- 47% of students expressed interest in learning more about becoming a nurse.
Nearly half of participating students left the program interested in further exploration of nursing careers. Given that only 27% of students initially reported already considering nursing as a career before the program, this indicates meaningful growth in curiosity and awareness.
Conclusion
The 2026 Highline Teen Nursing Academy survey results indicate the program is highly successful in:
- Increasing student understanding of nursing roles
- Improving perceptions of nursing careers
- Generating interest in healthcare pathways
- Delivering engaging, hands-on educational experiences
- Introducing new career possibilities to students during a formative developmental stage
The strongest outcomes were seen in:
- Increased understanding of what nurses do
- High student engagement and enjoyment
- Strong evidence of learning gains
- Increased openness toward nursing careers
The findings support continued expansion of the Teen Nursing Academy as an effective workforce pipeline and healthcare career awareness strategy, particularly for reaching students early in their educational journey.