I’m the parent of a high school sophomore who is considering Nursing but it not sure yet. We are looking for summer Precollege programs for Nursing to help her figure out if this is the direction she wants to pursue.
Fairfield has a 1 week precollege program for Nursing, but I’m stuck on the fact that it’s not an in-person experience. Is it a boring zoom all day? The program description states that there is a chance of being on campus for a day to experience in-person. If this was on-campus and in-person for the week, it would be a great option. Does anyone have any insight to share?
What other options exist for Precollege Nursing programs in the Northeast?
I know a lot of “maybe nursing, not sure” kids in my area have started out volunteering for our local fire department, and then doing EMT training/certification once eligible.
One kid who was on the fence decided “definitely not for me” after the team tried to revive a toddler who had drowned in a bucket in his own kitchen. In his imagination, nursing (especially peds) was filled with adorable babies and spunky toddlers who were getting better after being diagnosed with highly curable diseases– not having to inform parents that their child did not survive.
Others have gone on to nursing, PA, MD as a result of the experience. It is much more hands-on than some of the formal “programs”. Kids are obviously not doing anything their licensure (or the lack thereof) prevents them from doing, but they are seeing life in the emergency trenches….which is a good intro to the “book learning” part of health care.
Ohio State had a free 3 day nursing camp that my daughter loved (we did have to stay in a hotel as housing is not included), she also completed a summer CNA course. She is now a freshman at U Penn for nursing.
Some other residential programs: King’s College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, and Lebanon Valley College, all in Pennsylvania, and Emmanuel (MA) have Healthcare/Health Careers/Health Sciences summer camps. Georgetown (DC), Roberts Wesleyan (NY), and Waynesburg (Pennsylvania) have Nursing camps.
Most of these don’t have specific information posted yet for summer 2026.
Also check into a “candy striper” program if you’re near a hospital. These vary, but the program I did in high school was definitely not delivering flowers and pushing people around in wheelchairs. Another benefit was seeing what hospital work was like.
I wholeheartedly second the above recommendation. Working as an EMT will give a nursing student a discernible leg up because of the real world patient interactions they’ll have on a regular basis on an ambulance. Many organizations allow ride alongs to potential recruits that may give your student some helpful perspective.
That is a horrible story, but unfortunately the reality of working in medicine, particularly in the emergency space. The same thing happened to my niece at her second birthday, she tumbled head first into an ice bucket at the party. Luckily, we were all right there to pull her out. For a young person, that had to be a terrible thing to witness. As someone mentioned above, working in medicine really is a calling. It’s not something to be taken lightly. I will suggest that type of experience to her. Thanks!
It’s true that Fairfield’s precollege nursing program is mostly online with only a possible one-day campus visit, so if your daughter wants more hands-on experience, you might look into other in-person options in the Northeast like those at Quinnipiac University or The Catholic University of America.