Thirteen Queen Creek Unified School District students are ending their school year certified nursing assistant-ready after completing a two-year program that included clinicals, a written exam and skills test.

The certification is one of many available through the district's Career and Technical Education programs.

These students are now qualified to work as nursing assistants in the health care industry, a field that has been suffering staff shortages in recent years, according to a press release.

"These students and our nursing teachers have worked very hard this year to accomplish this goal," stated Heidi Lee, director of College & Career Readiness and CTE, in the release. "We are proud to provide a wide variety of programs that encourage our students to follow their passions and give them real-world experience and tools they need to succeed."

The nursing program will be available at all QCUSD high schools in the 2023-2024 school year.