Students offered preview of nursing profession

Twenty-four high school students explored the world of nursing during a recent Future Nurses Camp at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge. 

FranU partnered with Future Health Professionals to host the program.

The participants were selected from a pool of 60 applicants based on their application, essay and letters of recommendation.

Dr. LaTonya Dorsey, associate dean of the nursing school at FranU, said the camp was beneficial to prospective students because it showcased the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be a proficient nurse.

Dr. Wenona Bell discussed the vital role assessment plays in positive patient outcomes and assisted students in administering medications safely. Dr. Janice Hall discussed infection control and assisted students in properly donning and doffing personal protective equipment, and Dr. Carla Harmon discussed the Code of Ethics for Nursing to cultivate expected attitudes for nurses. 

“These experiential activities and discussions provided students with realistic opportunities to discern their vocation for nursing,” said Dorsey.

The students applied what they were taught and tested their skills in interactive sessions in the skills lab and Simulated Education Teaching Hospital (SETH). Undergraduate and SETH faculty facilitated each session. 

It is inside the SETH Hospital where FranU students from various disciplines work on sophisticated mannequins programmed to mimic a variety of health conditions. During the training students may be asked to perform a wide range of tasks, including inserting IVs, delivering babies, administering medication, performing CPR and more.

The labs were the favorite among the students.

“I thought the (SETH) was very interesting, it was super cool,” said Amy Leger, a junior at North Vermillion High School in Maurice, who is interested in becoming a pediatric nurse. “I like the process of assessing patients; I thought that was interesting to learn about.”

Jailyn Barnes noted that the mannequins are lifelike and respond to situations as human patients would.

“They talk, they blink and they sweat. One of them delivered a baby, and we got to help. When you tell it to push, it pushes,” said Barnes.

She added, “I’ve always been interested in nursing, especially being a nurse practitioner, but I never knew what specialty I wanted to do because a lot of them interest me. But after going into the lab and seeing the childbirth simulator, it really interests me in that and working in the nursing field.”

Lilli Pourciau, a junior at John Paul the Great Academy in Lafayette, comes from a family with a nursing background. 

“My mom was an ER nurse, a burn nurse and then she worked in hospice. She set an example for me,” Pourciau said.

She picked up some good study tips that she said will help her in nursing school.

Kayla Woodruff, a junior at Slaughter Community Charter School in Slaughter, said her sister is in nursing school at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The two have had some good discussions about the important services nurses provide for patients.

“She said during the coronavirus nurses were most needed in the hospitals, and she said they’ll always be around and in demand,” said Woodruff, who would like to be a traveling nurse.

At a time when high school students are making decisions about their future careers, the Future Nursing Camp allowed the participants the opportunity to discern a nursing career.

Marley Glosup, a junior at Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee in New Roads, said she was deciding between pursuing a career in nursing or dentistry.

“I chose this camp just to kind of get an idea of what it would be like to be in nursing school,” said Glosup, whose experiences in the simulation lab piqued her interest in becoming a pediatric nurse.

Presenting an overview of the nursing profession is what FranU wanted to achieve.

“I think the most impactful part of this experience was being able to provide an experience for the students who were interested in various healthcare careers that highlighted different aspects of the nursing profession,” said Dr. Amy Hall, dean of the School of Nursing at FranU. “Hopefully the sessions allowed the students to better understand the vast opportunities available to nurses today to better discern if nursing is the right career path for them. And if they decide to select a different healthcare profession, they can draw on this experience in their future educational experiences and careers to help them understand the role nurses play in the healthcare team.”

“I anticipate this experience will help them make an informed decision about pursuing a career in nursing. In addition, this is a valuable recruitment opportunity. I hope this experience will pique their interest in nursing and FranU School of Nursing,” said Carla A. Harmon, associate professor director of nursing.