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Nurse Academy

Created with a vision to explore the future of nursing, Nurse Academy introduces students to the many career paths available through nursing.

Created with a vision to explore the future of nursing, Nurse Academy introduces students to the many career paths available through nursing.

Nurse Academy is a one-day program that introduces high school and college-aged students to the profession of nursing. Through the partnership of The University of Kansas Health System and the University of Kansas School of Nursing, students will have the opportunity to practice hands-on nursing skills, learn about different fields within nursing, and tour several different patient care delivery areas in the hospital.

Nurse Academy 2024

We are excited to announce that Nurse Academy will have two, one-day sessions, to choose from this summer:

  • Session 1: Thursday, June 13th

  • Session 2: Thursday, July 11th

Nurse Academy Session are in-person, on site beginning at 7:30 am. A t-shirt will be provided for participants to wear for the day.

Application to Nurse Academy

The 2024 Nurse Academy application will open on Monday, February 12, 2024. The application consists of the following sections:

  1. Applicant Information
  2. Written Essay (500 word max) answering the given questions/prompt on application.

The application will close Friday, April 5, 2024.

Up to fifty students will be accepted into each Nurse Academy session.  Due to the large number of applicants, a waitlist will be developed.  Student applicants will be notified by email if they are accepted or placed on the waitlist for the program by Friday, May 3, 2024.

Apply Now

Our Vision and History

The goal of Nurse Academy is to show high school and college-aged students how rewarding and exciting the nursing profession can be. Since the early 2000s, the KU School of Nursing and The University of Kansas Health System partnered to create a setting where students can learn about the work and skills of nursing through Nurse Academy.

Nurse Academy Activities

Students hear lectures from accomplished nurses and participate in a skills lab, learning skills like starting an IV, proper PPE, and performing CPR. In addition, students will experience The University of Kansas Health System's facilities and care departments, such as trauma services, the newborn nursery, the intensive care units, cardiac services, the medical/surgical units, ambulatory care, and the operating room.

Nurse Academy Participant Comments

  • “I learned more about what it will take to be a nurse and what I should focus on in school to have a career in the medical field.”
  • “I learned more about the responsibilities of a nurse and how much fun it can be.”
  • “I’ve gained a greater knowledge of the overall job of nurses.”
  • “I learned that there are a lot of different areas in nursing. You can take so many different avenues. You can always do something different. I learned how specialized and difficult nursing can be! This only makes me want to explore more!"
Frequently Asked Questions

Nurse Academy accepts up to 50 students per session. With two Nurse Academy sessions in the summer of 2024, nearly 100 students will get to participate.

Nurses from The University of Kansas Health System and KU School of Nursing faculty lead the program.

There is no cost to participate in Nurse Academy thanks to the generous donors to the program and volunteers who take part in making Nurse Academy a great experience for all.

  Participants may learn about the following areas of nursing:

  • Medical-Surgical
  • Burn & Trauma
  • Cardiology
  • Ambulatory and Outpatient
  • Emergency Department
  • Infection Prevention & Control
  • Labor and Delivery
  • Mother/Baby
  • Neonatal Intensive Care
  • Oncology
  • Operating Room & Perioperative
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • And more!
  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
  • PPE donning and doffing
  • Hand Washing with Glo GermTM
  • Starting an IV and Blood Draws

Due to the limited number of participants accepted, students can only attend one time.

Due to privacy laws, you may not take pictures with your own camera or phone. Nurse Academy faculty will be taking pictures throughout the program and will provide access to the pictures for participants.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided on both days of Nurse Academy. These are provided by generous donations.

Contact Us

Please email us if you have any additional questions at nurseacademy@kumc.edu.

KU School of Nursing

KU School of Nursing
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Mail Stop 2029
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-1619 | TTY 711
soninfo@kumc.edu