SHU Hosts Nursing Immersion Program for Area Teens

Participants learn CPR, engage with nurses in clinical, leadership and faculty roles and experience hospital life during weeklong program

Faculty, staff and students from Sacred Heart University’s Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing (DHCON) recently conducted SHU’s second annual summer nursing immersion program for high school students in collaboration with Nuvance Health.

“The point of the program is to reach out to local high school students who have the interest to become nurses,” said Cynthia O’Sullivan, DHCON associate dean of academic affairs and global nursing. “Most students have very little experience in health care, and opportunities like this help them decide if they would like to pursue a nursing career.”

During a jam-packed week at the end of June, 26 high school students from Bridgeport and Norwalk learned from experienced nursing professors, clinicians and staff at SHU’s state-of-the-art Center for Healthcare Education. They met SHU alumni and local partners, who provided insight on their own nursing careers and how they entered the profession. In addition, University staff presented key information on the college application process, financial aid and priorities for success after high school.

The high schoolers learned about using tourniquets, saw the inside of an ambulance and all its equipment, met DHCON’s therapy dog and got certified in CPR. They used SHU’s hi-tech Anatomage Table (a 3D anatomy visualization system) and worked in the simulation labs with faculty. On day three of the weeklong program the students visited Nuvance Health’s Norwalk Hospital to experience the clinical acute care environment, participate in additional simulation and understand a day in the life of a nurse.

“We had support from nursing instructors and leaders from Nuvance,” O’Sullivan said. “Students toured the whole hospital, met and talked with nurses working in various settings, saw the newborn nursery, experienced various patient simulations, learned about mobility equipment and heard about potential health-care employment opportunities. They loved wearing green scrubs from the hospital and enjoyed learning about what nurses and other health-care workers do every day.”

Last year, 15 students participated in the program. This year’s number was nearly double. At the end of the week, the students made “vision boards” to express their thoughts about the experience.

“This type of high school activity is something I have dreamed about for many years, ever since my own children were in middle school,” O’Sullivan said. When O’Sullivan joined the DHCON team in 2022, she took her knowledge of immersion programs and developed one for SHU. She is pleased with its growth and success.

The week culminated with evidence-supported student presentations to parents and members of the SHU community. “All students and parents were enthralled with their experience,” O’Sullivan said after the week concluded. “Students were extremely complimentary, and many said they would be applying to college to become nurses.”

Two students from last year’s immersion experience enrolled in SHU’s nursing program this fall. One of them joined the recent immersion program as a counselor. “She loved it so much, she wanted to come back,” O’Sullivan said.

The week was filled with learning, but faculty and staff made time for fun, too. The group bowled at SHU’s Valentine Health & Recreation Center, enjoyed pizza parties and heard from special guests. O’Sullivan said the support of the DHCON, its faculty, staff, Dean Karen Daley and Nuvance Health ensured the week went smoothly.

This program has been so successful that there are plans with Nuvance to create a fall weekend immersion program.