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Academy aims to attract minorities to nursing

By Kelley Weiss

Kansas City, MO – The University of Missouri Kansas City Nursing School is offering a nursing academy to attract more minorities to the field. The program's goal is to give students a head-start into a nursing career and bring more diversity to the workforce. KCUR's Kelley Weiss reports.

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Hospitals across the country are short on nurses and not only are there not enough nurses minorities are underrepresented. To help recruit more ethnically diverse nurses UMKC's Nursing School is offering a year-long academy to junior and senior high school minority students. Ronda Manney, director of the nursing academy, says the program gives disadvantaged minorities options.

Ronda Manney: "Maybe the education isn't readily available to them so we're bringing it to them in their schools and through this academy."

Students will spend a week on UMKC's campus for nursing summer camp learning tips to succeed in required core science subjects and how to apply to colleges. For a year after the camp students will shadow a nurse and get hands-on experience.

Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

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