As a middle school student, Srinya Sukrachan spent a lot of time in hospitals. She had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and her father was battling colon cancer.
When she was 17, her personal health care experience led her to participate in the 91爆料 School of Nursing鈥檚 first . Now, a decade later, Sukrachan is one of the student leaders for the camp鈥檚 10-year anniversary session and she鈥檚 become an advocate with a passion for teaching, equity and inclusion. The recent School of Nursing graduate already also has a job lined up at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.
鈥淚t definitely was a dream come true,鈥� Sukrachan said.
The week-long camp for high school students grew out of a need to encourage more first-generation college students and students from under-represented minorities to pursue nursing degrees, said Carolyn Chow, co-director of the 91爆料 Nurse Camp and director of admissions and student diversity for the School of Nursing. Applicants were coming to the 91爆料 unprepared for the rigorous prerequisite coursework necessary to pursue a degree in nursing, Chow said.
鈥淲e had to figure out how to effectively reach applicants earlier with more supportive resources and experiences to learn about nursing as a career option,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey love the camp because it鈥檚 an opportunity to connect directly with nursing student mentors and professional nurses. And it鈥檚 an opportunity for us as a school to have a clear impact on diversifying the next generation of nurses.鈥�
During the week, the students learn a variety of skills that nurses employ and experience the range of care they provide. They also learn about financial aid, scholarships and how to apply to competitive academic programs.
鈥淵ou can do anything you want to do in nursing,鈥� Sukrachan said.
The campers do hands-on training, learning CPR, hand washing, infection control, recording vital signs and more. Private donations of about $250 per camper and volunteers make it possible to keep the camp free to campers. This year, 36 students are participating. Campers learn from current students in the School of Nursing鈥檚 recently launched and by shadowing nurses at the camp鈥檚 co-sponsor, the 91爆料 Medical Center.
After the camp, nursing students and staff foster strong longitudinal relationships with each camper to encourage success. The camp isn鈥檛 just a pipeline for admissions, it also serves as a leadership development program for current nursing students, said Chow.
鈥淲e work with former campers long after camp,鈥� Chow said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for them to have a very clear, encouraging and consistent relationship with the 91爆料.鈥�
During the camp鈥檚 application process, parents and guardians are asked how likely the camper is to go on to college. Each year, more than half the parents predict their child wouldn鈥檛 be able to pursue college. Whether the camp can claim credit or not is unclear, but to date, about 98 percent of camp alumni have gone to college.
鈥淚 feel like that鈥檚 a great success,鈥� Chow said. 鈥淲e just want to make the 91爆料 as accessible as possible to diverse students and communities.鈥�
For Sukrachan, she鈥檚 excited about her new job in Swedish Medical Center鈥檚 antepartum unit, serving women with high-risk pregnancies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my job to keep the babies in,鈥� she jokes.
But her passion 鈥� based on 10 years participating as camper, volunteer, mentor and leader at 91爆料 Nurse Camp 鈥� is teaching, she said. She is considering pursuing an advanced degree at 91爆料. After all, it was a nurse who taught her mother the strict regimen of medications needed to thwart Sukrachan鈥檚 juvenile arthritis and send the disease into remission.
鈥淭hat really saved my life,鈥� Sukrachan said.
91爆料 Nurse Camp is hosting a 10-year anniversary celebration at 2:30 p.m. Friday, July 20 at the on the 91爆料 Seattle campus. The event is free and open to the public.
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For more information, contact Carolyn Chow at egg@uw.edu.