A Pipeline for Diversity in Healthcare: Nurses Middle College Nashville

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The healthcare industry is facing a growing crisis with a severe nursing shortage coupled by a lack of diversity in the profession. With hospitals and clinics struggling to fill positions, the need for a stronger, more diverse pipeline of future nurses has never been greater.

Enter Nurses Middle College Nashville, a first-of-its-kind public nursing high school opening Fall 2025. NursesMC Nashville aims to prepare students, particularly those from underrepresented and low-income communities, for careers in healthcare before they even graduate high school.

Founded by Dr. Andrea Poynter, a nurse with 18 years of experience in practice and nursing education, the school blends rigorous academics, hands-on clinical experience, dual enrollment credits and real-world workforce connections to ensure students leave college career-ready. 

Homegrown Healthcare Fosters Representation

Without enough trained professionals to fill the gaps, Dr. Poynter explains hospitals are desperate for qualified nursing talent. On top of the workforce shortages, there is a lack of diversity, particularly for black and latino nurses, who remain underrepresented even in communities where they make up a significant portion of the population.

“So that's the problem,” Dr. Poynter begins. “How do we help increase that pipeline to increase nursing professionals and also increase diversity?”

The answer, Dr. Poynter believes, is to start as early as possible. “High school is that turning point that gets students prepared for the next step in college. If we don’t start early, we risk losing students who could have thrived in this field.”

NursesMC Nashville has partnered with local healthcare providers like HCA, Vanderbilt, and NHC to offer mentorship, internships, and job opportunities for students. Beyond filling job shortages, the school is focused on home-growing healthcare talent from within the community.

“It’s always better to home-grow talent because you have a deeper investment,” she says. “This is your family, your church members, the people you grew up with. You want your community to thrive and win.”

A High School Designed for Nursing Careers

Unlike traditional high schools, every aspect of NursesMC Nashville’s curriculum is focused on healthcare, ensuring that students graduate with certifications, experience, and a head start toward nursing school.

Dual Enrollment & Industry Certifications: Students will earn college credits while still in high school, saving them time and money in their post-secondary education. “It’s non-negotiable at this high school,” Dr. Poynter shares. “Students will earn dual enrollment credits.” 

The approach aims to help reduce college debt while giving students a head start in their nursing careers. “They’ll understand and know the rigor of college and be able to bypass that debt,” she says. “That's generational shifts.”

By the 11th grade, students will complete their Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification, making them immediately employable upon graduation.

Hands-On Clinical Experience & Job Placement: NursesMC Nashville isn’t just about the coursework. It also provides real-world clinical training through the many partnerships with major healthcare providers like HCA, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Aschension Saint Thomas and more. “We have so many partners who are providing these wraparound services for these students to help ensure success,” Dr. Poynter explains. 

Healthcare partners have come to the table with the promise of creating jobs for enrolled students. “So they get the student experience and they're also going to do clinicals, and they're providing mentors and internships for these students.”

“When they graduate, they will have college credits. They will have a CNA certification. If we can give other certifications like EMS, we're going to make sure that they get that certification so they’re workforce or college ready.”

Contextualized Learning: For NursesMC Nashville students, the curriculum is designed to integrate healthcare into every subject. “We are providing education through a lens of health to students that are not just sitting in class, but they're engaged in class,” Dr. Poynter shares. 

“They're doing hands-on activities. They're making the connection between health and their lives and what they're learning.” Dr. Poynter believes this contextualized learning approach makes coursework more relevant, engaging, and directly applicable to students’ futures.

Why Parents Should Choose Nurses Middle College Nashville

NursesMC Nashville is helping build a direct path for high school students from often underrepresented communities to stable, well-paying careers in the healthcare industry.

• A Guaranteed Path to a High-Demand Career: The nursing field offers job security, competitive salaries, and opportunities for career advancement. By attending NursesMC Nashville, students will graduate prepared to step directly into the workforce or continue their education with a head start.

• Free College Credits & Reduced Student Debt: With built-in dual enrollment, students earn college credits for free, potentially saving thousands of dollars in tuition costs.

• Direct Access to Nashville’s Top Healthcare Institutions: Students will train in real hospitals and clinics, gaining valuable experience and networking with future employers before they even graduate.

• A School That Supports Its Students & Families: Beyond academics, Dr. Poynter is proud to share that the school offers wraparound support for both students and their parents. “We're providing this educational opportunity to the students, but we're also trying to provide services to the parents, especially parents who might not have thought this was an option.” 

• A Diverse & Inclusive School Culture: NursesMC Nashville is committed to increasing diversity in the healthcare field, ensuring that students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed in nursing careers.

Dr. Poynter offers a long-term goal for future students and families. “My greatest inspiration is to be able to provide that access for people to be agents in their own healthcare, for their families and for their communities.”

How to Get Involved:

To learn more about Nurses Middle College Nashville, visit them at NursesMCNashville.org or find them on Facebook, Instagram and Linked-In at @NursesMCNashville.

Nurses Middle College is currently enrolling its first 9th-grade class for Fall 2025 and will expand one grade level per year.