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Oklahoma teen becomes registered nurse at just 18 through accelerated program
Hailey Cannon completed a 12-month accelerated nursing program after earning an associate's degree by age 16 to address growing nurse shortages, officials said.
- On Mar 9, 2026, Hailey Cannon, 18, became a registered nurse after completing Oklahoma City University's Kramer School of Nursing accelerated program and is working in Oklahoma City.
- Cannon began college-level coursework about 13 in ninth grade through the Epic Collegiate Academy and graduated with an associate degree at 16 alongside her high school diploma.
- Janice James, assistant dean and director of the Meinders Simulation Center at Oklahoma City University, said 'Our accelerated program is just 12 months long', compressing the same curriculum into one year.
- After completing the program, Cannon said 'I feel very competent, I feel very comfortable going and working as an RN', while school leaders say programs like this help address a growing need for nurses.
- With an aging population and many experienced nurses nearing retirement, demand for nurses is expected to grow, and 'a lot of qualified nursing applicants, not just here but at other programs across the nation, are being turned away every year because we don’t have the faculty to teach them, and we also need clinical instructors', James said.
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