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The demand for nurses continues to rise, making the future of healthcare dependent on the next generation stepping forward. At Cleveland Clinic, the Center for Nursing Career Exploration is opening that door early by giving young people in the community the chance to experience nursing in a meaningful, hands‑on way.
Through the Launchpad to Nursing Boot Camp, middle and high school students learn what it’s like to be a nurse, from performing a head-to-toe assessment, to hearing a heartbeat for the first time or drawing blood from a simulation arm. During the boot camp, participants rotate through five stations led by Cleveland Clinic nurses, where they learn through interactive simulations and real‑life scenarios that build clinical skills and the empathy, communication and emotional intelligence essential to nursing.
“Students really get to see what it's like to be a nurse,” says Theresa Russo, Program Manager, Nursing Education and Professional Development. “After a day packed with hands-on learning, the boot camp wraps up with the creative ‘Escape Your Shift’ activity. In this final challenge, students put everything they learn into practice, working together just like real nurses to solve problems and manage a simulated shift. The activity was designed to help them see how all their new skills come together in a fast-paced, team environment, giving them a true taste of the demands and rewards of nursing.”
Nursing leaders at Cleveland Clinic support the boot camp by engaging and sharing their own career journeys with students. Throughout the boot camp, they develop real-world skills, like CPR, hand hygiene and spotting stroke symptoms — practical knowledge they can use and share in their communities.
“Students discover what B.E. F.A.S.T. means, the acronym for stroke warning signs, at boot camp,” says Linda Gardner, DNP, MEd, RN, Senior Director, Nursing Education and Professional Development. “We make sure everything they learn is practical and relevant, not just for the classroom but for their everyday lives. When they leave, they take B.E. F.A.S.T. magnets home as a lasting reminder and a tool to help them teach others how to spot stroke symptoms. The knowledge they gain here keeps making an impact, long after boot camp ends.”
In 2025, eight boot camps were held, welcoming 250 participants from nearly 100 different schools. The boot camps took place at multiple Cleveland Clinic locations across Northeast Ohio, all made possible through a Catalyst Grant awarded to Dr. Gardner, Theresa and Cheryl Causey, MSN, RN, Education Manager, Nursing Education and Professional Development.
“The Catalyst Grant has equipped us with essential resources to advance program development and has promoted continuous engagement among our student participants,” says Dr. Gardner. “Through expanded outreach and enhanced educational opportunities, the grant has enabled us to contribute significantly to the advancement of the nursing pipeline. The benefits to future nurses are substantial, and we look forward to further progress in this initiative.”
The team hopes that the participants who are educated through these boot camps will one day walk back through Cleveland Clinic’s doors as nurses. The interest in the Launchpad to Nursing Boot Camp exists, but what’s needed now is the funding to keep that momentum alive.
