Penn Medicine launches pre-nursing program for high school students - The Daily Pennsylvanian

Penn Medicine is launching the ASPIRE Program astatine the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with La Salle University and the Howley Foundation.

Credit: Kylie Cooper

In conjunction with La Salle University and the Howley Foundation, Penn Medicine launched the ASPIRE Program astatine the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

The ASPIRE program, which is supported by a acquisition of $7.5 million from the Howley Foundation, is simply a programme designed for precocious schoolhouse juniors funny successful pursuing a nursing career. The Penn ASPIRE programme volition beryllium based connected a programme exemplary archetypal implemented by the Cleveland Clinic successful 2017. 

Through the program, 25 ASPIRE scholars will receive interactive acquisition sessions, on-site exposure, and mentorship opportunities. Upon completion of the program, scholars volition person a $500 stipend and an invitation to enactment successful the programme again during their elder year.

The ASPIRE Program seeks to beforehand diverseness successful the nursing workforce and enactment economical mobility. Currently, achromatic women marque up 81% of registered nurses successful the United States, according to PhillyVoice.

“ASPIRE firmly aligns with Penn Medicine’s and HUP’s goals to connection pipeline opportunities for members of our assemblage to proceed cultivating an inclusive workforce and providing outstanding diligent care,” Colleen Mattioni, main caregiver enforcement astatine HUP, told the Almanac. 

ASPIRE encourages students who whitethorn beryllium deterred from pursuing a vocation successful nursing owed to financial oregon idiosyncratic reasons to apply.

Beth Smith, the firm manager of nursing nonrecreational development, told the Almanac that this programme volition supply maturation opportunities to individuals who whitethorn not person been capable to person vulnerability to the nursing assemblage successful the past. 

“Those who statesman nursing schoolhouse whitethorn not person overmuch acquisition with the tract unless they’ve volunteered determination oregon possibly [if] they person household members who are nurses,” Smith told the Almanac.

After ASPIRE scholars graduate from precocious school, they volition beryllium fixed the accidental to matriculate with assistance assistance into La Salle University to execute a Bachelor of Science successful Nursing. Scholars volition besides person the enactment to besides stay part-time employees astatine HUP beyond graduation. 

“We are excited to spot the ASPIRE Program turn implicit clip and look guardant to creating an situation wherever ASPIRE scholars tin thrive academically and professionally,” Smith told the Almanac.

The ASPIRE Program volition induct its archetypal cohort astatine the beginning of 2023.