Every summer and winter, York Literacy Institute (YLI) partners with the Adult & Continuing Education Center at York County School of Technology (YCST) to offer the Healthcare Career Pathways course—a two-week program designed to help adult learners prepare for the YCST Practical Nursing (PN) program. This Healthcare Pathways class is made possible by generous funding provided by the Ball Foundation. For some students, the class is a refresher before returning to school; for others, it is their first introduction to medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and healthcare math. Regardless of background, the goal is to help future nurses begin their journey with confidence. “The feedback from our PN students has been wonderful,” says Laura Bond, PN Supervisor at York County School of Technology. “Students receive a jump start on studying, an overview of medical math, anatomy and physiology, and concepts of professionalism, all topics that prepare incoming PN students for what to expect at the start of our nursing program.”

The encouragement students receive from YLI instructors who understand the unique challenges of adult learning makes this course especially impactful. As Anatomy and Physiology Instructor Sherry Lookofsky notes, “We know our students are adults with responsibilities and complex lives. We strive to respect each student as a unique individual, listening and answering their questions.” Nursing Math Instructor Laura Waldron echoes this sentiment: “Building confidence in adult learners is just as important as the content being taught. Once they believe in themselves, there is a shift in their learning and view of the material.” Student course evaluations reinforce this, with one participant sharing, “After completing the class, I totally feel confident and ready for nursing school because of the class and the instructors.” Another wrote, “This class improved my math to no end,” while one simply advises future students, “Don’t miss this; the course is a stress relief for nursing school.”