Beckley Summer Jumpstart Program successfully welcomes incoming students

BECKLEY, W.Va. - The WVU School of Nursing Beckley Campus successfully provided incoming students with an engaging overview of the nursing profession and the student experience during the Summer Jumpstart Program.

The program featured a variety of interactive activities designed to enhance the incoming students’ learning and campus familiarity. The students enjoyed a scavenger hunt that acquainted them with campus resources, and they tackled an escape room challenge that reinforced the skills they had acquired throughout the program.

The program’s student mentor, Hannah Ramsey said, “Participating as the student mentor for the Jumpstart Program was a great experience! I remember being in these students’ shoes; eager, curious and full of anticipation for what was to come.”

Students were also given the unique opportunity to visit local hospitals, including Beckley ARH Hospital, Raleigh General Hospital and the Beckley VA Medical Center, gaining valuable insights into different healthcare environments.

Thanks to a local donor, the program offered a comprehensive introduction to essential nursing skills, including vital signs, personal protective equipment (PPE), and hand hygiene.

“Hannah was a great asset to our team. She designed the escape room and scavenger hunt as well as helping demonstrate the skills the participants learned. It was a blessing to see seeds we have planted starting to bloom,” said Kelly Morton, Clinical Assistant Professor and Jumpstart Program Coordinator.

Ramsey explained, “As a nursing student who did not get to experience this since it is a new program, I think there are many benefits. The students that participated were able to ask questions about nursing school and college in general, get a small preview of the things we learn/do in nursing school, tour facilities we have here in Beckley, and develop a relationship with [Campus Chair] Hillary Parcell and Kelly, as well as myself.”

This program successfully equipped future nurses with foundational knowledge and practical experience, paving the way for their continued education and careers in nursing.

“I hope this program will continue on,” said Ramsey, who will graduate from the Class of 2025.

-WVU-

ap/8/19/2024

MEDIA CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-923-3591; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu=