Nevada RNformation - September 2021

Page 14 • Nevada RNformation September, October, November 2021
UNLV Nurse Camp Returns to Impacting Future Healthcare Heroes
Jenna Le Piere and
Minnie Wood, MS, APRN, ANP-BC
The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Nurse
Camp isn't like most summer camps. Instead, the
program exposes campers to the nursing profession
through hands-on experiences and interactions with
nursing professionals. In this case, hands-on means
CPR training, Stop the Bleed training, and more
informal education like simple first aid, vital signs, and
medication administration. It's also a fun, engaging
way for teens to socialize and form bonds with
other teens with similar interests. Nurse Camp 2021
welcomed 43 rising juniors, seniors, and recent high
school graduates for the return of our one-week day
camp in July. This program is the second summer for
the UNLV Nurse Camp, which debuted in 2019 and
was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. One Nurse
Camper in particular and co-author of this article,
Jenna Le Piere was so profoundly moved by her
experience, it changed the way she looked at nurses.
She shares the impact camp had on her below:
I sat there empty-minded with a piece of paper
reading "Nursing is … " in front of me. We were told
we had to make a poster of what we believe nursing
to be. Some people put down "a work of the heart" or
"love." I sat there not knowing what to write because,
before UNLV's nursing camp, I didn't honestly know
what nursing was.
When I first stepped on UNLV's campus, I had
no idea what to expect. I couldn't tell if this nursing
camp would be hours of lectures and challenging
quizzes or one of the highlights of my summer. So as
I approached the classroom where all the campers and
staff were to meet on the first day of camp, I felt a
mixture of nervousness and excitement in the pit of my
stomach. After receiving my welcome bag and camp
t-shirts, I sat down next to a girl with blonde curly hair.
I didn't know it then, but I had just met a friend who
would likely be in my life far beyond just this summer
camp.
We introduced ourselves to each other, and all my
nerves quickly went away. The welcoming energy from
all the nursing student volunteers and staff made me
feel at home in this unfamiliar place. Minnie and Jill,
the camp leaders, went over everything we'd be doing
for the week. From CPR to Stop the Bleed, and even
a trip to University Medical Center (UMC) to visit their
simulation center, our week looked exciting, to say the
least. I realized this camp wasn't going to be hours
of lectures and quizzes, but hands-on activities and
bonding with the people around me. Being surrounded
by like-minded people, attracted to a similar career
lighted a fire within me. It made me even more
passionate about going into the nursing profession.
One of the main things I learned at camp is that
nursing is more than meets the eye. Through talking
to the campers around me, the UNLV students, and
current working nurses, I was introduced to areas of
nursing I had never considered before. For instance,
one day, there was a panel with seven nurses working
in different hospital areas. We broke out into groups
and could ask the nurses any questions we had. We
heard about the work-life balance nurses have, what
a nurse's daily routine looks like, how difficult nursing
school might be, and so much more. My group first
paired up with this lovely nurse who specialized in HIV
care. She discussed her life and passions, and while she
talked, I saw myself in her. She loved to write just like
me and enjoyed helping people in their times of need. I
had never been interested in HIV care before talking to
her, but after listening to her, I realized HIV care was so
much more than I could've imagined.
Learning what you don't want to do is just as
important as figuring out what you do want to do,
in my opinion. This camp gave me the amazing
opportunity to tour UMC Hospital and visit a variety
of different units. I saw different camp participants
light up with each unit tour when they found one that
resonated with them. For some, it was the trauma
center; for others, it was pediatrics. For me, it was the
labor and delivery unit. I instantly gravitated towards
the environment and how dedicated all the nurses
were. We even saw the NICU where a baby with
jaundice was being cared for. It was an experience I'll
truly never forget and made me realize how much I'd
love to pursue labor and delivery one day.
The UNLV nurse camp provided me with so much
more than just knowledge about nursing. I came out
with new friendships, a better understanding of myself,
and a newfound passion for becoming a labor and
delivery nurse. Once the camp was over, I researched
any volunteer work or internships that could help me
start my nursing journey. I looked into Summerlin’s
Hospital teen volunteer program for a while and
decided to call them finally. I got the volunteer position
and now get to hold babies in the NICU and help out
in the hospital! Since the start of camp, neighbors and
even teachers who knew I was attending continued
to ask me how the nursing camp was going and went
overall. It was amazing to see this camp make further
ripples in my community, and it was an honor to be a
part of it. Coming out of UNLV's nursing camp, I now
know what nursing is. Nursing is a community of love,
healing, and discovery.
At every stage, nursing students supported campers
through volunteering and activities developed and led
by the UNLV Student Nurses Association.
The camp was split between UNLV's main campus
and our Shadow Lane campus, the Clinical Simulation
Center of Las Vegas. During our time there, campers
had the opportunity to see nursing simulation in realtime
and practice a huge variety of simulated activities
in the safety of this supportive learning environment.
Here the campers practiced using lifts and ambulations
devices, assessing the respiratory and cardiovascular
system, removing sutures and staples, donning and
doffing PPE, and so much more. These skills activities
are always a favorite day for campers and volunteers
alike.
The UNLV Nurse Camp was also fortunate to have
the partnership and collaboration of UMC, who took
campers on a VIP tour of the hospital and exposed
students to different types of nursing, including
perinatal, pediatric, trauma, and perioperative. This
incredibly impactful experience was reported as one
of the highlights of camp. Our week culminated in
learning experiences to help campers ace the ACT and
prepare to apply to college and complete prerequisite
nursing courses for admission into nursing programs.
We topped it off with a vision board activity and
special recognition ceremony and reception with family
and friends included.
Feedback from our campers and the community
was excellent, and we look forward to another vibrant
camp experience in 2022.
About the authors:
Jenna Le Piere is a 17 year old rising senior at West
Career and Technical Academy in the Nursing Program.
She enjoys creative writing and regularly volunteers at
the Summerlin Hospital NICU.
Minnie Wood, MS, APRN, ANP-BC, is a Lecturer at
the UNLV School of Nursing and the Director of Clinical
and Community Partnerships. In addition, she codirects
UNLV Nurse Camp.