STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Barren County High School students interested in nursing will soon have a new way to get a head start on their careers.
Barren County Schools announced a partnership with Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College to launch a “Nurse Ready” pathway at the high school, beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
“This program creates incredible opportunities for our students to get a head start on a meaningful and rewarding career path,” Principal Letitia Hughes said in a press release. “We are excited to continue expanding opportunities that connect classroom learning to real-world careers and strengthen the future healthcare workforce in our communities.”
The new program is designed to let students begin their nursing education while still in high school. The pathway will combine biomedical sciences, Allied Health coursework and dual-credit classes that count toward college.
Students in the Nurse Ready program will be able to earn college credit, gain hands-on health care experience and be better prepared to apply for SKYCTC’s nursing programs after graduation. The pathway will include options that lead students toward becoming Registered Nurses and taking LPN-to-RN routes.
District and college leaders say the partnership reflects a shared effort to prepare students for high-demand health care careers and address regional workforce needs.
Dr. Angie Harlan, dean of nursing at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College, said the new pathway will help students build a strong academic foundation and give them a clearer route into the nursing profession and into serving patients and communities across Kentucky.
