Nashville, TN – At its meeting on October 17, the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted to approve the charter school application of Nurses Middle College (NursesMC) Nashville, clearing the way for the city’s first ever public nursing high school to open its doors in 2025.
NursesMC Nashville will be a four-year, comprehensive, nursing-focused public charter high school. It offers a rigorous education, workforce experiences, and entry-level patient-care credentials, such as Certified Nursing Assistant, resulting in college- and career-ready graduates. All Davidson County students who successfully complete the 8th grade will have the opportunity to enroll. In addition to engaging in interactive learning in their classes, students will complete clinical internships, benefit from healthcare mentors at partner organizations, lead community service initiatives, and earn at least three transferable college credits — most earn 16 credits or more. The school is currently working with Belmont University to secure classroom and laboratory space in partnership with its Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing.
“With this charter approval, we’ll be able to help dozens, and soon hundreds, of young people achieve their goal of entering nursing or another health profession,” said Dr. Andrea Poynter, Executive Director of NursesMC Nashville. “Mentoring young people from backgrounds underrepresented in health care is my professional passion. I’ve seen for myself the difference a diverse nursing workforce can make in patients’ health and well-being.”
“We are so grateful to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission for recognizing the value a nursing high school can bring to our community,” said Dr. Mamie Williams, Chair of the NursesMC Nashville Board of Directors and Senior Director of Nurse Diversity & Inclusion at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). “We’re eager to work with our lead clinical partner, TriStar Health, VUMC nursing, and our other clinical, academic, and community partners to ready NursesMC Nashville to welcome students in 2025.”
“We’ve seen the transformative power of this education model at our flagship school and how its graduates are making a difference in their communities,” said Dr. Pamela McCue, CEO of NursesMC. “We are confident this newest NursesMC charter high school will convey the same benefits in Nashville.”
TriStar Health is working alongside NursesMC to bring the educational model to Nashville. The organization will provide workplace learning opportunities and professional mentoring during the school term and tuition support for NursesMC Nashville graduates who accept full-time positions with TriStar Health. “We are excited to collaborate with the NursesMC Nashville team on this initiative. We hope this opportunity will inspire and motivate students who want to pursue nursing as a career,” said Stephanie Wise, Chief Nursing Executive with TriStar Health.
Bloomberg Philanthropies is providing start-up funds for NursesMC Nashville as part of a larger nation-wide initiative to bring high-quality career and technical high school programs to young people, strengthening the healthcare workforce, reducing skill gaps, and fostering economic growth on both regional and national levels.
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NursesMC™ is a 501c3 organization, created to address our nation’s need for nurses and a more diverse nursing workforce through a ground-breaking education model: a comprehensive, nursing-focused public charter high school. Its four-year curriculum provides unrivaled preparation for students from backgrounds underrepresented in healthcare who want to pursue a degree in nursing or another health profession. Students in a NursesMC high school are immersed in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. They acquire nursing and healthcare knowledge and earn at least three transferable college courses — most earn 16 credits or more. They also receive credit for workforce experiences, earn entry-level patient-care credentials, and benefit from mentoring by professional nurses in their communities. NursesMC is currently focused on replicating the success of its flagship school to benefit communities throughout the country. Please visit NursesMC.org for more information.
