Dec. 1, 2015 | The UAMS College of Nursing hosted about 40 students from nine area high schools Nov. 7 for a day-long event that allowed them to imagine a career in nursing.
The “Day in the Life of a Nurse” event was sponsored by the Growing Our Own in the Delta (GOOD) Program, which works to infuse health care professionals into underprivileged areas of the state, including the Arkansas Delta.
“There is an ongoing nursing shortage throughout the nation, but particularly in rural communities such as in the Delta region,” said Keneshia Bryant, PhD, RN, principal investigator on the program. “Often times, students are not aware of the vast opportunities available in the field of nursing, and this event is designed to expose them to some of those opportunities.”
The students took part in various breakout sessions throughout the day, which allowed them to experience what it is like to be a nurse. The College of Nursing students also participated in a panel and a Q&A session.
“During the program, students have the opportunity to perform hands-on activities, watch demonstrations of a variety of procedures and visit the UAMS state-of-the-art Simulation Center,” said Bryant.
High school students participating in the program came from Little Rock (J.A. Fair College and Career Academy, Parkview, McClellan and Wilbur D. Mills University Studies), White Hall (Dollarway and White Hall), Pine Bluff (Jefferson Area Technical Career Center and Pine Bluff), and Watson Chapel.
The “Day in the Life” event is one aspect of the GOOD Program, funded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which looks to provide opportunities about a nursing career to students from underrepresented backgrounds — including being male, of an ethnic or racial minority, or a first-generation college student — to serve in the Delta and other health care shortage areas in Arkansas.