K12 students explore careers during Future Nurses Camp

The University of Michigan-Flint's School of Nursing welcomed future caregivers to campus June 27-28 for the 2022 Future Nurses Camp. The two-day interactive summer camp, that showcased UM-Flint's nursing faculty, staff and facilities, was attended by area high school students who are considering a career in nursing. The event returned to downtown Flint after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The focus of the camp included three important goals for attendees, including: cultivating a passion for nursing; teaching basic life-saving interventions such as basic first aid, CPR, and Stop the Bleed; and preparing campers to respond to a variety of medical emergencies that they may encounter in their everyday lives.

Summer Campers learn CPR and other lifesaving techniques. — *Attendees of the 2022 Future Nurses Camp learned a variety of skills, including CPR.*

"It was an incredible experience to show these campers what nursing and the School of Nursing are all about," said Monica Wielichowski, academic advisor for UM-Flint's School of Nursing. "We develop programs like these to help harness their enthusiasm and focus their excitement on the many opportunities available to them as future nursing students."

Day one of the program had campers split into two groups to participate in activities including an escape room and building-wide scavenger hunt, and workshops on topics such as alternative health options including aromatherapy and auricular therapy.

Summer Campers learn critical Stop the Bleed tactics for lifesaving skills. — *Learning Stop the Bleed as part of advanced first aid training.*

Day two of the camp had attendees behind the wheel of the university's state-of-the-art driving simulators, learning the importance of safe driving techniques and how to avoid distracted driving.

Divided into small groups, campers rotated through other activities including a virtual dementia tour that had the campers wearing thick oven mitts and dark goggles to simulate visual or motor impairments commonly experienced by patients with dementia. An introduction to the Nursing Anne training helped campers learn through experiences with common nursing scenarios. Discussions focused on high blood pressure and cholesterol levels helped put additional emphasis on potential health risks to campers and their families.

Summer Campers learn bedside manner techniques in the state-of-the-art — *Campers practiced their bedside manner in the School of Nursing's state-of-the-art facilities.*

"We wanted the campers to get a realistic experience of what nursing is and what it can be," said Cynthia McCurren, dean of the School of Nursing. "Being able to go beyond the classroom by engaging them in active learning was the main goal of the program. I am very grateful for the efforts of faculty and staff who made this event such a tremendous success."