WVU School of Nursing student encourages middle schoolers to consider nursing as a career

Pictured from left: Kelly Bryson, Olivia Steeley, Katie Shelby and event organizer Mackenzie Whorton. 

During the West Preston Middle School career fair held Oct. 20, a West Virginia University School of Nursing senior shared information about a career in nursing with the attendees.

Mackenzie Whorton said the event was organized for fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders to see different career opportunities available in Preston County.

“My display taught the children what nursing is, what tasks we do as nurses, and how we learn critical nursing skills here at WVU,” Whorton said. “I believe it is important to immerse middle school students into nursing because they are at an age where they begin to start thinking about careers that may interest them in the future.”

She added, “Getting them excited about nursing careers at a young age may be a way to help the national nursing shortage we are experiencing.”

Whorton decided to participate in the event after learning about it from her clinical coordinator and West Preston’s school nurse, Suzanne Peddicord. Whorton was joined at the career fair by her classmates Kelly Bryson, Katie Shelby and Olivia Steeley.

Sharing her passion about nursing was another benefit about the experience for Whorton.

“I want to become a nurse because I want to have the opportunity to make a difference in peoples’ lives,” she said. “Nurses see patients at some of the worst points in their lives and the interactions we have with our patients at these vulnerable points has the potential to have a huge impact on their health and overall wellbeing.”