cess , a tour of Shepherd University ’ s campus , and engagement with current nursing students and faculty from nursing and science .
The Outcomes
Collectively , SU-SNA student growth with leadership skills required to plan and coordinate an educational program was extremely positive . The original plan was to attract at least 20 participants . In fact , participants traveled from eight regional high schools in two different states for a total of 52 participants in two summer workshops , exceeding expectations . SU-SNA member Jaxon Bakken stated , “ It was a pleasure being able to teach future nursing students about some of the basic skills in nursing . The workshop allowed me to practice leadership skills by encouraging the participants to be involved in the demonstrations and provide a fun , positive environment where they could be comfortable and learn .”
The exit survey affirmed expected outcomes . More than 60 % of participants identified an interest in pursuing a nursing career and more than 50 % stated they were interested in attending Shepherd University . Participants gave the workshop high marks for the quality of high-definition simulation , and creative activities involving animal anatomy and microorganisms to name a few , as well as the high-energy and caring nursing students and faculty . Testimonials from participants
Microbio Lab
that confirmed its success included the following :
n “ It was a fun experience and I recommend anyone who is a high school student to do it . Can I sign up for the next program too ?”
n “ I ’ ve never held a real heart before and then looked inside — kind of gross , but cool . Also , how can what ’ s in a pig ’ s thorax be the same as a human ?”
n “ I enjoyed the simulator where you hear the breathing lungs and the heartbeat . I also heard sounds from the healthy patien ’ as well as unhealthy . I learned what each heart beat or lung noise meant from the student nurses .”
n “ This program allowed me to ask questions of the student nurses and instructors , and I now have an increased interest in the medical field and nursing .”
While planning the workshop schedule , SU-SNA leaders identified the optimal number per session to be 36 participants broken down into six smaller groups with two nursing students teaming up to lead each activity . Offering two summer workshops gave high schoolers flexibility in scheduling during summer break and it limited the number of participants for best learning experiences . Having 30 days between sessions gave SU-SNA leaders the ability to make program adjustments for the 2nd workshop based upon participants ’ and nursing student volunteers ’ feedback to assure best learning experiences for all .
Engaging the Shepherd University Admissions team with handling event registrations and sending out confirmations and reminders was helpful while also adding interested students to the University recruitment network . The use of QR codes for registration and evaluation was an efficient way to retrieve feedback and data from the workshop . Increasing participant interest in dual-enrollment at Shepherd also provided a win-win for students and a seamless transition to the uni-
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