By Alexis Clark
NASHVILLE, TN (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University School of Nursing and Nurses Middle College (MC) Nashville hope to inspire 32 middle school students to become the next generation of healthcare professionals. The group of rising 7th and 8th graders recently visited TSU as a part of a nursing summer camp, where they learned CPR and patient care simulations. They received instruction from the School of Nursing faculty and learned about the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, cardiac arrest, identifying life-threatening situations, and more.
Khloe Garrison, a Rose Park Middle Magnet 8th grader said the camp experience was one to remember as she learned techniques and terminology she hadn’t been exposed to before.
“Camp has been really cool,” Garrison said. “We did CPR on the (mannequin) babies. Seeing people here at TSU who look like me inspires me because I know they’ve achieved it, and it makes me believe I can too.”
TSUs Executive Director of Nursing Dr. Courtney Nyange said the University was proud to partner with NursesMC Nashville for the nursing camp. Dr. Nyange added that hosting the summer program helps the nursing school fulfill its mission to foster students of all backgrounds to become the leading healthcare professionals of tomorrow.
“The opportunity to contribute to the continued diversification of the nursing profession in Tennessee and the nation is a privilege that our School of Nursing is honored to have and has embarked upon as an institution for decades,” Nyange said. “Our partnership will help create a pipeline of students who will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and compassion needed to become successful nurses, capable of delivering high-quality client care.”
Dr. Cathy Lovelace, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, provided the one-day CPR training workshop for the participants.
Amir Rahman, who is a Nolensville High School student, participated in the event as a camp counselor. “It’s important that everyone came together and empowered each other,” Rahman said during the camp. “HBCUs are important, and I know the camp students appreciate this.”
Rahman, who aims to become a Certified Pediatric Nurse, has TSU on his list of potential colleges after high school.
NursesMC Nashville Executive Director Dr. Andrea Poynter, who formerly served as a nursing professor at TSU for four years, said seeing the students’ excitement was one of the many highlights of the camp.
“The biggest takeaway is just them being able to learn how impactful they can be to people in their families and their communities,” Poynter said. “This exposure will be memorable to our aspiring next-gen nurses. Due to the hands-on clinical opportunities, the diverse school and local community, the level of preparedness from nursing graduates from TSU is so impactful.”
In addition to TSU, NursesMC Nashville partnered with HCA Healthcare TriStar Division and Belmont University to offer students diverse hands-on experiences. The TSU and NursesMC Nashville summer camp exemplifies the university’s commitment to nurturing future healthcare professionals through early exposure and practical campus experiences.
NursesMC Nashville, launching next year, will be a tuition-free public high school in Davidson County, integrating nursing education, workforce experiences, and industry credentials to prepare graduates for college and careers in healthcare.
To learn more about the summer camp and the new NursesMC public nursing high school coming to Nashville, visit www.nursesmcnashville.org/contact/. To learn more about TSUs School of Nursing, visit www.tnstate.edu/nursing/.
