Category: School of Nursing
Connecting Future Caregivers
December 19, 2023 Written by Colin Heffinger | Photos by Ashley Larrimore
The School of Nursing recently launched an event series to welcome and prepare new Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) as well as first-generation students for their academic careers in nursing. This program titled Connecting Future Caregivers (CFC) that was originally designed to be a one-time event has swiftly evolved into a full program to include multiple gatherings with faculty and peers, mentoring, and opportunities for students to feel truly connected on campus.
Sparked from ideas shared during strategic discussions after the COVID-19 pandemic, the CFC program is intended to help provide students with a sense of belonging and access to valuable connections that enhance their academic success. Events were planned and hosted by Jennifer Saylor, associate dean of faculty and student affairs, as well as Zachary Jackson and Shayla Crawford-Hymon, academic advisors, all in the School of Nursing (SON).
鈥淩esearch continues to show a lack of diversity in the nursing profession yields inequities in health outcomes,鈥 said Crawford-Hymon. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more important than ever to make sure we are effectively retaining students from minoritized backgrounds.鈥
For the introductory event, freshmen students and their families started by sharing dinner with SON faculty, staff, and upperclassmen BIPOC nursing leadership students. The first group of upperclassmen BIPOC nursing students were hand-selected as mentors in a new cohort for the freshmen, providing additional guidance and support throughout the academic year. In future years, mentors could be any interested upperclassmen who are either a first-generation student or BIPOC, ensuring that future freshmen will be able to learn from their lived experiences.
鈥淭he goal is to create a diverse community that can sustain on its own throughout their years at 91原创,鈥 said Saylor. 鈥淲e鈥檙e aiming to build a workforce that matches the diverse populations they will be serving in their nursing careers.鈥
After dinner, freshmen attended inspirational speeches from , director of nursing programs for the American Nurses Association, and , House Representative for Delaware and clinical coordinator for graduate services at SON. Both Boston-Leary and Minor Brown shared their career stories and provided insights on how a career in nursing can tie together politics and other fields to fit a student鈥檚 unique passions and goals.
The following day, students joined together for facility tours, mental health discussions, and an innovative simulation presented by the team. Students met with Cynthia Diefenbeck, director, psychologist, and advanced practice psychiatric nurse, and Aroya Griffin, a mental health clinician, from The Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD), to voice their challenges and learn more about the importance of managing mental health. At the end of the day, Healthcare Theatre leaders , program coordinator, and , program manager, recreated a potential nursing facility scene to show students different ways to provide the best care for patients.聽
Kabmata Kargbo, a sophomore student serving as a mentor for the CFC program, explained how the event helped her 鈥渇eel more excited and inspired鈥 in her career choice. 鈥淲e were able to see what we would be working on throughout our four years here and share that experience with others who look like us,鈥 said Kargbo. 鈥淗aving this extra boost of encouragement helps us feel less alone in our journey.鈥
Kargbo chose to pursue her degree at 91原创 because she was amazed by the simulations, abroad learning opportunities, and nursing programs. 鈥淭he CFC program serves as a growing platform to help students meet collectively and best learn how to take advantage of these incredible opportunities on campus,鈥 Kargbo continued. 鈥淏eing involved on campus with a nursing class schedule can be challenging, so attending these events is a huge plus to feel more connected with faculty and other students.鈥
A month later, the CFC program organized a second event, bringing students back to learn effective studying methods. Led by academic success coaches and from , students were introduced to methods for using their calendar to plan out the semester, reading their syllabus, taking handwritten notes, attending office hours, and beginning exam studies well in advance to avoid the stress of cramming, among a variety of other study tools specifically designed for college courses.
鈥淭he School of Nursing faculty puts so much focus on guiding students to become the best possible nurses,鈥 said Nicole Perez-Rangel, a junior student mentor for the CFC program. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an effort to aid students outside of the classrooms, providing access to mental health support and additional resources that have helped all of us.鈥
鈥淓ven as a junior, this program is a huge help as we鈥檙e also learning techniques from the freshmen we are mentoring,鈥 said Perez-Rangel. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a shared learning experience. I鈥檓 honored to be there for someone younger than me and lend a helping hand.鈥
Looking forward, the CFC program team is excited to engage students further with additional events. The next is focused on explaining ways students can position themselves professionally on social media.
鈥淧rograms like these can have an enormous impact on students鈥 experiences for the long-term,鈥 said Jackson.
鈥淲e鈥檙e determined to provide an environment for all students to learn and create meaningful interactions organically,鈥 reflected Saylor. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue these efforts and explore ways we can help students financially, like introducing them to job opportunities on campus.鈥
The Connecting Future Caregivers program was funded by a 91原创 Faculty Senate Committee of Cultural Activities and Public Events grant and a 91原创 Faculty and Staff Career Services Innovation grant.聽