School of Nursing Hosts Year Two of High School Summer Program

For the second consecutive year, the College’s Maureen Murphy Wilkens School of Nursing & Clinical Sciences welcomed high school students from Massachusetts and beyond to campus for an academic and informational summer nursing program.

The weeklong summer program ran from July 14 to July 18. By day, students participated in hands-on skills activities in the College’s state-of-the-art nursing simulation labs, such as ‘Stop the Bleed’ and CPR training – through which they earned certifications – practiced research and conducting a case study, participated in Q&A’s with nursing alumni, faculty and current students, and more.

They also got a taste of the College experience at 400 The Fenway. This year, students stayed overnight in the Emmanuel dorms and enjoyed downtime activities on campus and out in Boston.

“The program was a great success last year,” said Dean of the School of Nursing, Diane Shea, Ph.D., RN, “and we planned for it to be bigger and better this year.” The number of students participating grew from 8 students to 19 this year.

Emmanuel’s summer nursing program provides participating high school students with a unique first-look into the nursing field prior to college. They get the opportunity to not only try out the college setting in Boston, but participate in college-level nursing labs and receive insights from highly experienced faculty in the profession.

Getting a chance to see Emmanuel’s campus and dorms, as well as understand what it’s like to spend time overnight in a college setting, was a bonus for students, particularly for easing their nerves about making the big transition into college.

“Being able to get a glimpse of all of it – the dorms, the campus, the classes – has been great,” said Megan Nazar. She appreciated the broad overview of the nursing field that the students were given, and said she’s interested in nursing because of how it blends science, math and the human element of helping people.

Madi Heberley came all the way from New Jersey to participate in this year’s summer nursing program. She said she always wanted to be a nurse, and was recommended the program by her aunt, who is a college counselor.

“I loved how we started the week with all of our certifications and were able to get this experience,” she said.

Midway through the week, the students competed against each other in a “PPE relay race,” aiming to be the quickest team to don and doff the proper PPE items that coincided with the ailments they were assigned.

They also had the chance to tour some of the hospitals in Emmanuel’s vicinity, like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital.

“It’s always amazing that we can show off the hospitals where our faculty work and have their own practices,” Dr. Shea said.

To conclude the week, students put their new research and practical knowledge together and presented their case study findings to parents in attendance.

Learn more about Emmanuel’s summer nursing program and view feedback from last year here!

Students race to evaluate their patients and equip themselves with the correct PPE in Emmanuel's nursing simulation labs.