Beckley Campus hosts Jumpstart Summer Bridge Program to support incoming freshman interested in nursing
The WVU School of Nursing Beckley Campus invited incoming WVU Tech freshmen interested in nursing to join a Jumpstart Summer Bridge Program for three days of hands-on learning, campus connection, and professional exposure that will help them start their educational journey with confidence.
Nineteen students from Raleigh, Fayette, Wyoming, Nicholas, and Greenbrier counties joined this year’s session. Each student received a welcome gift bag, which included a blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, t-shirt, and WVU School of Nursing items. The students used their supplies in the nursing skills lab to begin practicing fundamental skills, such as manual blood pressure measurement and vital sign assessment.
During the program, students participated in a handwashing and PPE workshop; earned their Stop the Bleed certification at Appalachian Regional Hospital; engaged in trauma scenarios at Raleigh General Hospital; observed surgical technology demonstrations at Plateau Medical Center, including the Da Vinci 5 surgery robot; learned from a flight nurse during a live HealthNet helicopter landing on the WVUIT campus; and connected with faculty, classmates, and potential future employers.
Post-event surveys indicated the students felt welcomed and were extremely likely to recommend the program to others. Among their favorite activities were lab scenarios, learning to take blood pressure, and seeing surgical technology.
“My favorite part of the program was knowing that I had the opportunity to meet familiar faces that I will be seeing when classes begin in the fall and gain new skills,” one student said.
Hillary Parcell, Beckley Campus Chair, said many students arrived as strangers but left as friends.
“They are now ready to support each other when classes begin,” Parcell said. “They also gained early exposure to local healthcare facilities where they may one day serve as nurses, thanks to the connections this program fostered.”
-WVU-
MEDIA CONTACT:
Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu