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Each year, UNLV School of Nursing welcomes high school students to campus for Nurse Camp, a unique weeklong introduction to the nursing field. In its fifth year of the program, the school hosted 66 students over the course of two weeks.

Nurse Camp is open to high school students (incoming freshman through recent graduates) interested in pursuing a medical-related career. Students as young as 13 joined the program and traveled from as far as New Jersey to attend. 

As the critical need for health care professionals grows, UNLV School of Nursing seeks opportunities to educate and inspire individuals to help fill the nursing pipeline. For five days, students learn essential nursing skills from faculty, current UNLV nursing students, and volunteers. They learn to check for vital signs, assess patients, care for newborns, suture wounds, and more. Students split their time between the main campus, UNLV's Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas, and UMC Hospital. 

“By participating in Nurse Camp, students are exposed to many different health care activities. They have the opportunity to meet with current nursing students, find out what the life of a nursing student looks like, and even envision themselves in the role of a nursing student,” said Margaret Trnka, Nurse Camp director and assistant BSN program director at the School of Nursing. “These opportunities allow the students to create realistic visions related to nursing school and potentially working as a registered nurse in their own future.”

Nurse Camp partners with UMC Hospital to expose students to realistic hospital settings. Students spend the day with the UMC team, learning from their nurses, taking a hospital tour, and hearing from recent nursing school graduates and their specialties. Students tour several departments at UMC, including the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), trauma and intensive care unit (ICU), emergency room, medical ICU, and surgical ICU.

UMC also assists students with receiving certifications at the end of the program, hosting classes in Stop the Bleed, and CPR training. Students receive hands-on training and learn how to use tourniquets, pack wounds, and practice chest compressions on mannequins. 

UNLV nursing students worked closely with campers to guide them through proper medical techniques and terminology and motivate them as they consider pursuing a career in nursing. The camp attendees had the opportunity to ask questions about the field directly during a panel discussion with current nursing students and recent graduates. Panelists took turns sharing their experiences in nursing school, clinical rotations, and their first years as registered nurses.

“Nursing is a team sport,” said Katherine Skeith, a BSN student. “When you walk into a clinical setting, you are now part of a team. Make sure you use that.”

Several UNLV nursing graduates emphasized the importance of teamwork, as it affects the quality of care and patient safety. These values were heavily relied upon during some of their first experiences as registered nurses during the height of COVID-19.

The pandemic inspired Thomas Castellanos, a 17-year-old student at Valley High School, to become a nurse. He saw the value of medical professionals and the care they provide to those in most need. 

“There was a Nurse Camp flyer outside my school's GearUp office,” Castellanos said, referring to a UNLV Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach program. “I knew it was an opportunity to really get to know deep down what it is to be a nurse and the responsibilities that pertain to it. But I didn’t think I was going to get in because I knew that there were a lot of applicants, and I decided to apply pretty late.

“But I’m here, and I’m so excited,” he said with a smile.

Castellanos took advantage of every opportunity offered in Nurse Camp, taking extensive notes, recording panel discussions, and seeking volunteer opportunities from local hospitals. For him, the UMC tour was the icing on the cake. It helped him narrow down the specialties he’s most interested in including medical-surgical and NICU. 

Planning for Nursing School Admissions

Nurse Camp also prepares students for important conversations in nursing school. Students can discuss what makes an ideal nursing school candidate and how to fund their education with UNLV’s Office of Admissions and Academic Advising.

Teresa Calderon, a 17-year-old senior at Southwest Career and Technical Academy, knew she wanted to be part of the medical field. She’s one of six children in her family and has always been around kids. Originally, she wanted to be a pediatrician.

“My little brother was diagnosed with autism, and that completely changed my perspective on therapists and everyone in the health field,” she said. “That's what really pushes me to want to be a nurse practitioner who specializes in working with kids, especially kids with autism.”

Calderon is also a member of the ’s local Flight Crew. She and her fellow members were offered the opportunity to attend Nurse Camp on scholarships. 

Melody Bishop, a 13-year-old freshman from Fallon, Nevevada, and one of the youngest members of the Nurse Camp cohort, echoed her fellow Flight Crew member’s aspiration of always wanting to pursue a health care career. Similar to Calderon, her Nurse Camp experience helped inspire her decision to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. 

“I want to go into health care because, if I see someone and help them, I know I’ve made a difference in the world,” Bishop said, “Even if it’s just for one person, I know I’ve made the difference."