Creative introductions about nursing as a career prior to high school are clearly needed if we are to impact the projected nursing shortage needs. Working with middle school students should be a priority, as study habits and basic academic skills are still being formed.
— Jessica Alicea Planas, PhD, RN, MS/MPH, CHES | Associate Professor of Nursing
Fairfield Egan’s Associate Professor of Nursing Jessica Alicea Planas, PhD, RN, MS/MPH, CHES is on a mission to address the lack of diversity in the healthcare field. According to recent data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the registered nurse (RN) population is comprised of 80.8 percent White/Caucasian, 6.2 percent African American, 7.5 percent Asian, 5.3 percent Hispanic, 0.4 percent American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 0.5 percent Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, which is not reflective of our nation’s diversity. Men are also under-represented in nursing — they make up only nine percent of the RN population.
Made possible with a partnership between the Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (CTNAHN) and funding provided by the Network of the National Library of Medicine (region 7) DIVE-IN (Developing Inclusive Voices and Experiences in Nursing) is an outreach program that engages nurses with middle school students in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Taught by Dr. Planas and Maria D Krol, DNP, RNC-NIC, former president of the Connecticut Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, in this community-engaged learning experience, fifth and sixth grade students at a multicultural magnet school learn about some of the different kinds of jobs nurses can do, including various nursing specialties.
“Creative introductions about nursing as a career prior to high school are clearly needed if we are to impact the projected nursing shortage needs. Working with middle school students should be a priority, as study habits and basic academic skills are still being formed. If interest can be piqued prior to entering high school, important course selections and opportunities can happen during these critical years,” said Dr. Planas.
During one of the first sessions, Dr. Planas asked the students what they think of when they hear the word “nurse” and one child responded, “They are a little bit less than a doctor.”
Looking to shift this perspective and get students from ethnically diverse backgrounds excited about nursing, she and Dr. Krol developed the DIVE-IN program with five sessions dedicated to nursing specialties—operating rooms, pediatrics, geriatrics, and community and public health. Each session included a nurse guest speaker and hands-on activities related to each specialty area.
Using activities like measuring the head circumference on a newborn, how to put on personal protective equipment (PPE), and wearing goggles and earplugs to mimic the hearing and visual impairment of geriatric patients helped the students to experience a day in the life of a nurse.
The program culminated in a field trip to Egan School’s Simulation Center. While on campus, students listened to lung and heart sounds on a mannequin, used a doppler to take a pulse, and wrapped an ace bandage on an artificial limb. The students received their own stethoscope, personal first aid kit, set of scrubs, and anatomy book as part of the program.
Feedback has been extremely positive. Dr. Planas said, “Both the teachers and students were excited to participate in the program. We hope to continue and expand, and work with different inner-city schools in the future.”
