Introduction: Literature on career technical education (CTE) programs introducing nursing research to high school students is scarce, and fewer articles discuss the involvement of librarians. This paper examines the integration of research into the curriculum of a two-year CTE program, the Advancement to Nursing (ATN). ATN is a program for high school students considering nursing or another health career. This program partners with different types of libraries, including the University Akron (UA) Libraries. As part of the ATN program, Barberton High School partnered with UA. Over the past two years, the librarian and the nursing instructor worked closely to plan the library sessions whose objectives were to improve students’ database searching skills, to locate appropriate resources, and to cite sources correctly.
Description: At UA, the librarian provided two instruction sessions annually. Students were introduced to searching strategies, peer-reviewed articles, and the American Psychological Association (APA) Style. Students searched the CINAHL database and other quality resources. An online guide was created to supplement instruction to help students with the assignments. Outcomes: A rubric was used to determine students’ ability to utilize approaches introduced in library sessions, understanding of APA Style, and writing ability. Although students were able to navigate databases more effectively, they needed more assistance with citing resources.
Discussion: The partnership improved students' ability to find appropriate information, provided assistance to help students complete their assignments, and highlighted the importance of research in nursing/health fields. Weaknesses included technological challenges and time constraints. Future plans are to increase APA Style education and writing labs.