Flagstaff students discover nursing pathways at NAU’s new summer camp | Arizona Daily Sun
A group of Flagstaff high schoolers spent three days learning about nursing careers through hands-on activities and discussions with practicing nurses last week through a new day camp from Northern Arizona University.
The high school exploration camp is run through NAU’s College of Nursing and is intended to give local youth a chance to learn more about a field they’re interested in — which also has a shortage of professional workers.
It’s taught by Heather Ashby and Maureen McGarrity-Yoder, who both have experience as practicing nurses.
“I think it sparks that interest,” Ashby said of offering the camp to the age group. “If somebody is thinking I want to go into healthcare … giving them an idea of what nursing is, what nursing school consists of, lets them make a better decision as to, ‘Is this something I want to pursue, is this something I’m really excited about or not?’ … I think starting at high school, giving them the opportunity to identify whether or not this might be a good fit, just gives them more time to decide if this is where they really want to be.”
The website for the Arizona Healthy Tomorrow initiative from the Arizona Board Regents lists that the state will need 14,291 additional registered nurses by 2030. NAU Health is a part of that initiative and includes multiple nursing-specific goals, such as the transition to a college of nursing rather than a school — which was completed at the end of 2024.
Avery Adden, a rising junior who is one of a group of 11 students from both Coconino and Flagstaff high schools who participated in the pilot week of camp June 25-27, said she’s been interested in nursing from a young age because her mother is in the profession.
“I wanted to see how nursing school would work,” Adden said. “I wanted to have an idea of how it would be, so I’d know what kind of options I’d have to work with.”
The pilot took place on NAU’s Flagstaff campus.
A second session is planned for Cottonwood July 23-25 and will take place at the Verde Valley Medical Center in partnership with Northern Arizona Healthcare. Online registration for the second session is still open; a $25 contribution is requested but not required to attend.
The camp is open to high schoolers entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade in the fall who have an interest in nursing. The first two days run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an optional hourlong session with NAU financial aid and admissions immediately after (from 4 to 5 p.m.). Friday’s camp runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Students began the week with an introduction to various types of nursing careers and the types of training and education they would need for each. The students then shared the reasons they were interested in nursing.
“I think just by seeing and talking and hands-on experiences, you get a very different perspective than just knowing that nursing is an option,” Ashby said.
She added: “You get that idea of what a nursing class looks like, what a nursing day looks like. I think the idea behind this is to give them a more realistic idea of what the profession would demand of them.”
Wednesday a week ago, the students worked on their assessment skills, learning about things that are important for nurses to recognize and actions to take in specific scenarios. In the afternoon, they practiced using a “patient” in the pediatric simulation room, identifying items that could be off with a child-sized mannequin as they completed an assessment.
At the end of the week, practicing nurses in different specialties visited the camp to speak with the students about their work in the field. They also discussed how to stay resilient in a high-stress career.
Kimberly Frick, director of clinical partnerships and internships at NAU, said the hope is to offer the camp at NAU locations throughout Arizona.
“One of our priorities as we’re building out our model to increasing access to nursing education is to take this camp on the road,” she said. “ … We’re going to start to grow nurses in the communities, for the communities … . We know that those nursing shortages exist in rural areas, and so that is our priority. It’s our mission here at NAU that we are reaching underserved communities who are at risk for the highest level of health concerns that we know that rural communities are facing.”
See the original article on the Arizona Daily Sun.