Underserved Teens Explore Nursing Careers through RIC’s School of Nursing
High school students from underserved communities in Central Falls, Pawtucket and Woonsocket are exploring the field of nursing at the Rhode Island Nursing Education Center (RINEC) in downtown Providence, a facility where RIC nursing students learn both in the classroom and in high-tech simulation labs.
Each year, approximately 200 high schoolers visit RINEC from three Brown University Pathway Programs – HealthCore, MEET (Mentorship, Early Exposure & Training in Surgery) and WEEKS of Medical School. These are enrichment programs that give them an opportunity to explore various medical fields. To provide experiences in the nursing field, Brown has partnered with RIC’s Zvart Onanian School of Nursing.
The students work with RIC nursing faculty, students and alumni in “mini” simulation labs at RINEC. These are labs where nursing students practice their skills on tech-driven mannequins who can be programmed to behave like real patients.
HealthCore program participants come in July to work in the pediatric and adult mini sims stations for half a day. This station is led by RIC Associate Dean/Professor of Nursing Bethany Petronio-DeFanti. RINEC technicians control the movements of a baby mannequin, making it cry, wheeze, and its lips turn blue, while Petronio-DeFanti explains what the symptoms mean and how to respond to them.
The students then gather at the adult station, led by Professor of Nursing Debra Servello. There, an adult mannequin is hooked up to an EKG machine, exhibiting multiple cardiac and respiratory symptoms. They learn what the symptoms mean and take turns listening to its heart and lungs through a stethoscope, among other activities.
The MEETS program is held for two weeks in April. It was designed for high school students interested in learning more about surgery-focused careers.
At RINEC, they get hands-on experience with laparoscopic surgery at the laparoscopic mini sims station. RIC nursing alumna Justina Gonzalez-Griffin ’17 first simulates surgery in the abdominal cavity of a mannequin using a laparoscope. The students then take turns going in with the instrument.
Two other stations also offer hands-on experiences – the chest tube mini sims station, led by Assistant Professor Lindsey Moran; and the cardiac mini sims station, led by Professor of Nursing Debra Servello.
During the WEEKS of Medical School program, also held in July, high school students tour RINEC and go through what is called speed dating sessions. These are information sessions and Q&As with RIC nursing faculty, alumni and students. Forming small groups of two or three, the students participate in five, 10-minute speed dating sessions, including a session led by RIC Professor of Biology Eric Hall. Hall talks to them about RIC’s medical imaging program and the opportunities at RIC in that field.
Coordinating all of these activities is Professor of Nursing Joanne Costello. Among her tasks is recruiting faculty, student and alumni to work with these students.
“I try to bring in RIC nursing students and alumni who are from minority populations,” she says, “because that is the population of most of the high school students coming in. Our goal is to help them see what they might be able to achieve.”
Costello notes that RIC’s affiliation with the Brown Pathway Programs is a win-win for RIC’s school of nursing and for Pathway students.
“Our nursing school is committed to diversifying the nursing workforce so that it is representative of those we serve. We are also continuously working to recruit the most talented group of high school students in Rhode Island who are interested in careers in healthcare. Pathway Programs are a great opportunity for us to move forward with these goals.”
Learn more about RIC’s B.S.N. in nursing program, B.S. in medical imaging program and Brown University’s Pathway Programs.