From career exploration to practice: A nursing workforce journey

• Hands-on exploration boosts interest in nursing careers. • Career exploration programs inspire individuals to pursue nursing. • Structured initiatives like AHEC help measure and grow nursing workforce. The U.S. healthcare system is facing a significant nursing workforce shortage. Targeted efforts are needed to recruit youth into nursing field. Research has demonstrated that career exploration programs that expose participants to the various facets of a career in the healthcare field have increased students’ knowledge of health careers, empowered students to make informed career choices, and enhanced their intent to pursue a career in medicine or similar STEM field. In a retrospective study, we assessed the influence of a nursing camp on participants’ awareness of and interest in the pursuing a career in the nursing field. Between 2018 and 2022, 68 high school students engaged in a nursing career exploration camp and completed program evaluation to demonstrate short-term impact of the program on students’ knowledge and intent to pursue a career in healthcare such as nursing. The data analysis revealed a positive shift in students' self-reported knowledge of and intent to pursue a career in healthcare. The findings underscore the affirmative influence nursing-specific career exploration summer programs have on improving the nursing career trajectory.