MUW hosts Navigating Health Sciences Day for high school students
MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN (WCBI) – CPR, the skills lab, and labor and delivery. These are just a few of the experiences high school students from across the region took part in at Mississippi University for Women’s Navigating Health Sciences Day.
The purpose is to help students better understand the field through hands-on experience before they get to college.
“We want them when they come into health care to really know what they are investing in and what is the profession that they are really interested in being a part of and then helps them understand a pathway to get there,” said Dean for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dr. Brandy Larmon.
Dean for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dr. Brandy Larmon said the experience can be a real eye-opener.
“You have a lot of students that say, I want to do nursing or I want to do physical therapy, but until they get here and they really see the labs and they meet people that do that, you know, it may change their mind. And, you know, we’re really excited about talking about our profession to them and then getting them on the right path,” Larmon said.
Jessica Murphy, a registered nurse and the Health Science Instructor at Northeast Lauderdale High School says she is grateful her students have this experience to better prepare them for what to expect when they get to college.
“It is a way for them to really get a very clear and good idea of what they’re going to be doing,” Murphy said. “You know, college is scary for high school students, but this lets them know that while it is scary, it is also kind of fun because you get to do hands-on skills, and the importance of doing the hands-on skills before you go into the real world is you get to practice. If you mess up, you know, it’s on a mannequin, it’s on a simulated scenario versus a real person. We know that they can have some fun doing these skills and not be so afraid to advance to the next level.”
Both Larmon and Murphy want students to leave feeling inspired.
“To continue to be inspired, to learn and to grow, not to ever stop with their education. You know, the sky’s the limit. If nursing is not for them, then maybe something else is. But find out what it is that you do that means something to you and have a meaningful career,” said Murphey.
“Any of the health care fields are challenging, it’s challenging as a student, and it’s challenging as a profession. So I hope that they see that this is an environment where they can be involved. They can be part of the campus culture, but also with faculty and staff that are very invested in them,” said Larmon.
The students left with a certificate from the College of Nursing to use on their portfolio or resume.
