TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - An academy hosted by The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing will soon give 20 high school students first-hand insight into a profession projected to have about 1 million job openings within the next seven years.

During portions of the Joseph S. Bruno Nursing Academy, to be held June 8-14, the 20 students will be paired one-on-one with nurses in several area health care facilities, said Pat McCullar, coordinator of nursing student recruitment at UA.

“The program will give them a bird’s eye view of what nursing is all about,” said McCullar, who is coordinating the program.

High school students, selected from among 110 applicants from across the state, will live on the UA campus, learn basic nursing skills, and participate in computer simulations and orientations related to the career opportunities in the nursing profession.

Students participate at no cost to them, as the program is funded entirely by The Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation from Birmingham, said Holly Warr, director of advancement for UA’s Capstone College of Nursing.

The high school students will shadow nurses at several locations, including DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, and AlaCare Home Health Agency in Northport, during portions of the weeklong academy.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1 million registered nurses will be needed to fill new positions and vacancies by 2010. This makes nursing one of the hottest professions, in what is generally a tough job market, said McCullar.

The Capstone College of Nursing, founded in 1976, graduates approximately 100 nurses a year from its baccalaureate program. Its graduate program for nurse case managers is one of the most innovative in the country. Partnerships with many of Alabama’s community colleges make obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s in nursing a realistic goal for registered nurses.

With more than 600 students and 28 faculty, the College supplies RNs and nurse case managers to many Alabama health care facilities and others throughout the United States. The College also runs a primary care clinic in rural Alabama to provide care for rural patients and rural learning experiences for students.