Newswise — A fourteen year old learning how to deliver a baby, training to provide medical care during a disaster simulation and learning to love healthcare and nursing. Camp BONES at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) is a unique answer to the call for minority nurses throughout North Carolina and the nation.
Camp BONES (Brigade of Nurse Exploring Seahawks) started from the ground up at UNCW as a way to encourage minority teens, ages 13 through 18, to enter the field of nursing and college life. The teens enter the program as eighth graders and continue building on the skills they learn until they complete their senior year of high school. The program is designed as a residency program that gives the participants real-world training and experience in the field of nursing. Beginning this year, seniors in the program will leave with a Certified Nursing Assistant certification and the tools they need to enter a nursing program successfully.
The students stay on campus for one to two weeks each summer depending on their year in the program and then reconvene each fall and spring for a refresher experience. The program has seen a 90% retention rate in the students over their four years of involvement.
In a time where nurses are desperately needed throughout the country and minorities in the field are even more sought after, Camp BONES offers hands on experiences, nurse shadowing at local hospitals, mentoring, leadership development skills and much more. The participants walk away with a greater understanding of the healthcare world, friendships and mentors they can turn to throughout their high school and college careers.
The outstanding success of this program has led another school in NC, Winston Salem State University, to begin their own program after researching the UNCW camp.
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