DUNEDIN, Fla. — Soon-to-be seventh and eighth-graders are learning what it's like to be a nurse.

“I figured if there's a little training opportunity like this that I can still do, it will help me in my pathway to starting in the field,” said 12-year-old Jesielle Rosenberg.

The eighth-grader wants to keep health care careers in the family, so she signed up for the Diane Rauch Camp Nurse Junior at Mease Dunedin Hospital.

“We're just really trying to pique their interest and expose them to as many disciplines of nursing and as many disciplines of health care that we can,” said Colleen Glass, camp director.

They're doing that, learning about what's in the operating room to hands-on training practicing CPR and first aid.

“My favorite part has been when the neonatal nurses came in," said Rosenberg.

The 12-year-old already has a plan.

"In the future I want to do OBGYN," said Rosenberg.

That's good news to Glass who works to inspire students during a nursing shortage and a pandemic.

“We've been all coming to work everyday ever since all of this started, and I think that they respect that and they see that, you know, we them to feel like they want to be an important part of the team that serves the public," said Glass.

The nursing educator says she hopes these students leave with a goal.

"They have something to strive for like, I want to be a nurse,” said Glass.

Seems like some of the junior nurses know what their future holds.

“It feels like very real with our badges and all the equipment they give us," said Rosenberg. "It feels like we're getting a glimpse into what we can do in the future.'"