Another successful Nurse Camp, hosted by TCU Nursing, brought high school students from across Texas and the United States to campus to experience one week of clinical practice, educational activities and fun for aspiring nursing students.
There were 225 applications submitted for Nurse Camp this year, and 80 students were accepted to fill 40 spots across two sessions. Of those accepted, 68 were high school students from Texas—more than half from the metroplex—and 12 came from other states, including California, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Colorado and Connecticut.
“TCU Nurse Camp is about far more than introducing high school students to the nursing profession — it is about helping young people imagine the difference they can make in the lives of others,” Bernard Rousseau, Marilyn and Morgan Davies Dean, said. “When aspiring nurses come to TCU from across Texas and throughout the country, they experience firsthand the extraordinary opportunities at Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences while discovering a community that believes in their potential. These learners represent the future of health care, and we are incredibly proud to help inspire the next generation of health care professionals who will lead, serve and transform lives.”
Suzy Lockwood, associate dean for nursing and nurse anesthesia, said the goal for the rising seniors in high school attending the camp is that they leave with a broader understanding of what it means to be a nurse and the excitement that comes with the different paths and opportunities the profession offers.
“We want them to see that nursing is so much more than they may have imagined and to begin envisioning how they might make a difference in the lives of others,” Lockwood said. “We hope they leave knowing that TCU could be part of their future.”
Amanda Kupor, a rising junior nursing student, and Bri Preciado, a rising senior nursing student, were both first-time leaders for Nurse Camp this summer, but they had also attended the camp as high school students.
Preciado explained that Nurse Camp is more than just an information session about the nursing program and the college for high school students, and that attending the camp and its hands-on activities and overall experience played a significant role in her choosing TCU Nursing.
Kupor said the biggest difference between being a camper and a leader was seeing first-hand how excited and joyful campers were, just as she was a few years ago.
“A highlight for me when I was a camper was the opportunity to wear an ostomy bag for 24 hours and feel a similar experience as a patient with a stoma and put myself in their shoes,” Kupor said.
Now, as a leader, she has brought her own experience as a camper to her role as a camp leader.
“My favorite part about being on the leadership team this year was being able to help create the experiences that made me fall in love with TCU Nursing as a camper for these campers,” Kupor said.
Kupor's advice to high school students and future nursing students at TCU?
“Give everything 110%,” Kupor said. “TCU Nursing crafts every class and experience to shape you into an incredible nurse, and you can only get out what you put in.”
Preciado's advice to future campers and nursing students is to embrace the entire experience.
"This camp teaches you hands-on skills, knowledge of nursing, and the emotional aspect of nursing," Preciado said. "As you enter nursing school, it seems like so much, and it is; there will be hardships, but you always get through those. Before you start nursing school, know why you're doing this, and always go back to that reason when it gets hard."