TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Twenty high school students interested in learning more about nursing – the profession with the nation’s largest projected job growth – will attend a May 29-June 4 academy hosted by The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing.

Students from three states are attending the Capstone Summer Nursing Academy and were selected from 75 applicants, said Pat McCullar, coordinator of nursing student recruitment at UA.

During portions of the week the students will be paired with working nurses at DCH Regional Medical Center, St. Vincent’s Hospital and AlaCare Home Health and Hospice. They will live on the UA campus, learning basic nursing skills and participating in computer simulations and orientations related to the career opportunities in the nursing profession. Evenings will be reserved for fun activities both on and off campus.

Participants attend the academy at no cost to them, as the program is funded entirely by DCH, St. Vincent’s and AlaCare.

More new jobs are expected to be created for registered nurses, through 2012, than for any other profession, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. More than 70 percent of hospital CEOs indicated their facilities had nursing shortages, according to an October 2004 report from The American College of Healthcare Executives.

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 nearly 900 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 Walker County to provide care for rural patients and rural learning experiences for students.