Paving the way with multiple pathways to nursing

2023 has really kicked off with recruiting! The last weekend of January, the School of Nursing participated in the School of Medicine’s recruitment event for high school students, "Exploring Healthcare Pathways," and February is proving to be an even busier month.

The Pathways event included eight rounds of classrooms full of prospects, with a total of over two hundred plus students that were interested in various health care fields. This event allows high school juniors and seniors to explore all six schools within the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Students can truly see that we are six unique schools with one vision.

The School of Nursing utilizes our student ambassadors to help connect with high school students. Students at this age enjoy hearing from current undergraduate students to learn about their experience in the nursing programs, as well as in social events and their experience in the greater Jackson area as a whole. Students had a chance to ask about what their schedules were like, and how they balance their schedules with studying and working.

Student ambassadors Brittany Sims and Jordan Davis were able to provide first-hand experience to the students. Davis was especially helpful in explaining why a student may choose one path over another, while Sims provided great information on how the various schools in UMMC learn together through interprofessional education (IPE). Students were able to see that UMMC offers a great advantage to their learning experience via the IPE program and working with the other six schools.

Some of the student prospects were especially interested in hearing about the high-fidelity mannequins that are used in the simulation labs. Our student ambassadors shared about how they were able to practice with the mannequins before working with people in a clinical setting. They shared how this allows them to receive feedback from their peers and educators so that they can refine their skills in a corrective yet positive environment.

Many prospects and maybe even more so, their parents, were excited to learn of our RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs. These programs can be especially beneficial as they allow students to obtain an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) from a community college of their choosing before enrolling in one of our online bridge programs. Not only is this option cost effective as far as tuition, but it allows many prospects to attend an ADN program closer to home, saving on cost of living as well. We are proud to offer multiple pathways to nursing in a unique setting that only UMMC can offer.