July 29, 2004

VCU hosts first annual summer nursing camp

Activities included lessons in basic CPR, preparing to assist in surgery

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By Malorie Burkett

Tegan Chapman, a rising eighth grader at Richmond's Collegiate School pays special attention to one of the instructors in the operating room. Before entering the O.R., the students were asked to wear surgical gowns and masks.
Tegan Chapman, a rising eighth grader at Richmond's Collegiate School pays special attention to one of the instructors in the operating room. Before entering the O.R., the students were asked to wear surgical gowns and masks.

A group of students recently received specialized lessons on wound treatment, CPR and IV starts, and even learned to "gown and glove" to assist with surgery. No, it is not the latest batch of nursing students at Virginia Commonwealth University, rather a dozen rising 6th, 7th and 8th graders who participated in the VCU Summer Discovery Program's first annual Nursing Camp.

The group, eight girls and four boys from the Richmond metropolitan area, got a glimpse into the nursing field. The Summer Nursing Camp is part of a long-term recruitment strategy developed by the VCU Medical Center and the VCU School of Nursing to encourage young people to choose a career in nursing.

"To be a nurse, you must be educated, articulate, technology-savvy, dedicated, compassionate and a true team player," said Jennifer Sulanke, R.N., nurse clinician at the VCU Medical Center and one of the creators and facilitators of the camp. "The public is not aware of all that nurses do, and we hope this camp dispels inaccurate perceptions of the nursing profession."

From left: Dara Randall, a rising 7th grader at Oak Knoll Middle School In Mechanicsville, and Brianna Phares, a rising 7th grader at Chester Middle School inspected instruments such as surgical retractors during their visit to the O.R. Photos by Joe Mahoney
From left: Dara Randall, a rising 7th grader at Oak Knoll Middle School In Mechanicsville, and Brianna Phares, a rising 7th grader at Chester Middle School inspected instruments such as surgical retractors during their visit to the O.R. Photos by Joe Mahoney

The students received specialized, in-hospital hands-on lessons on topics ranging from pediatrics, emergency/trauma nursing and surgery preparation to the emergency room, forensic nursing and pediatric intensive car. The students also learned about LifeEvac, the VCU Medical Center's transport helicopter, and received basic CPR certification.

"We really need to know stuff like CPR and wound care," said Erik Kellog, an 11-year-old rising 6th grader at Liberty Middle School in Ashland, Va. Erik's twin brother, Sean, who also participated in the camp, said the skills he learned during the camp will come in handy.

The Nursing Camp is just one of the many programs available through the Summer Discovery Program. Sponsored by VCU's Division of University Outreach, the Summer Discovery Program is designed for rising 6th, 7th and 8th grade students who have interests in the arts, humanities and sciences. The program consists of full-day sessions that run for one week, using VCU's classrooms, laboratories and computers located on the university's Monroe Park Campus and at the VCU Medical Center. For more information, visit http://www.vcu.edu/outreach/sd/.